‘Time for opportunists is over’: PTI slams Khattak over ‘misleading’ statements

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday lashed out at senior party leader Pervez Khattak over his “baseless and false” statement, saying the time for “opportunists” in the party is over.

The reaction came in response to Khattak’s Saturday’s statement wherein he said that he repeatedly advised party's chairman Imran Khan to have "positive thinking", but he did not heed his advice.

Khattak, who recently stepped down as PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president following May 9 violent protests, made these remarks during a talk with media personnel at his residence in Manki Sharif in the Nowshera.

In a statement, PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan said that there is no room for a party member to play “on both sides of the wicket”.

He said that a party member is "either in or outside the party".

“Time for such opportunistic people is over,” Hasan said, adding that his party’s roots are now linked with ideological workers of the party.

“There is no place for faint-hearted people in the party,” he added.

The statement shared on the PTI’s official Twitter handle said Khattak was trying to “mislead the nation via such false and baseless allegations” after resigning from the party positions.

Khattak as PTI KP chapter president was fully involved in all the decisions of the party but on the other hand, he was in contact with the establishment, read the statement.

Instead of leveling allegations against the PTI chairman, Khattak should decide whether he wants to stay in party or not, the statement added.

The PTI, on June 22, issued Khattak a show-cause notice seeking an explanation for allegedly inciting members to leave the party.

The notice issued by PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan required Khattak to explain his position on the anti-party move within seven days of the notice.

It was also made clear in the notice that if his reply was found unsatisfactory or he did not respond, further action would be taken as per the party policy and rules.

The senior party leader is yet to respond to the notice.

Moreover, the ex-PTI provincial president had said the May 9 attacks were carried out under a well-conceived conspiracy to undermine the army and desecrate the martyrs.

A handful of workers motivated by "revolutionary thinking" caused immense damage to the country — which even its enemies could not do in the last 75 years — he had added.

"I reject this revolutionary thinking," Khattak had remarked, adding that he believed in non-violence and peace. He had said that showing disrespect to national institutions was not his way of doing politics.

About his plans, he had said that he was holding consultations with former lawmakers from all over the province to come up with a strategy to steer the country out of the prevailing crises. Khattak had said that the country could not afford revolutionary politics.