PTI issues show-cause notice to MNA Shakoor Shad, suspends his party membership

KARACHI: PTI’s Sindh division on Saturday issued a show-cause notice to its Member National Assembly (MNA) Abdul Shakoor Shad and suspended his party membership.

The development came following Shad's recent remarks regarding the party and his decision to approach the Islamabad High Court (IHC) over his resignation.

The notice sought a reply from Shad within seven days if he wants to stop suspension of his party membership.

PTI's provincial leadership including President Ali Zaidi and Additional General Secretary Imran Ismail signed the show-cause notice stating how Shad submitted his "handwritten" resignation letter and shared it on  his Twitter accounts.

The party's notice claimed that Shad mentioned himself as a former MNA in his Twitter bio. The notice stated that the lawmaker has filed his papers as a covering candidate for PTI Chairman Imran Khan for the NA-246 by-poll.

The notice states that Shad, despite strict party instructions to not withdraw his papers, did so following the acceptance of Khan’s papers.

The party, through the notice, also reprimanded Shad for going against the party's policy and "suddenly" approaching the IHC.

“After stating countless times that you have resigned… you suddenly went against the Party policy and filed a case in the Honourable Islamabad High Court stating that you never resigned as an MNA,” the notice read, further criticising him for going to the media to speak against the party.

Shad was denounced for “gross misconduct” which, the PTI said, is in “violation of party rules”.

It should be noted that Shad moved the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on September 9 to expedite the process of his resignation’s acceptance by the National Assembly.

 Shakoor Shad is PTI’s MNA from Karachi’s Lyari town after he won the NA-246 seat during the General Elections in 2018 by defeating the current Foreign Minister and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari.

The elections proved to be a huge setback for the PPP that was known for possessing a strong-hold within the coveted constituency for years since Zulfikar Ali Bhutto founded the party in the 60s.

In April, PTI lawmakers tendered their resignations en masse after Imran Khan's government was ousted through a no-confidence motion in April. Later, the then deputy speaker Qasim Suri accepted the resignations and issued a notification in this regard.

However, resignations of PTI members were de-sealed once Raja Pervez Ashraf was elected as the National Assembly speaker.

Subsequently, in July Shad was among the 11 lawmakers whose resignation was accepted by Speaker Ashraf under Article 64(1) of the Constitution of Pakistan.

Once the resignations were approved by the speaker, the ECP issued a schedule for by-elections on the vacant seats and fixed September 25 as the date for polling.

However, things took a new twist on Friday (yesterday) when Shad challenged his resignation in the IHC, saying that he had expressed solidarity with the 123 MNAs who had left their seats, but he never resigned.