Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lashes out at "baseless, false" statements by Pervez Khattak

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 3 : Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has slammed senior party leader Pervez Khattak for his "baseless and false allegations" on party chief Imran Khan and said that the time for "opportunists" in the party is over, Pakistan-based The News International reported.

PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan in a statement on Sundday said that there is no room for a party member to play "on both sides of the wicket". Hasan said that a party member is "either in or outside the party," The News International reported.

In a statement, PTI Information Secretary said, "Time for such opportunistic people is over," adding that his party's roots are now related to ideological workers of the party. He further said, "There is no place for faint-hearted people in the party," according to the report.

Raoof Hasan's statement came in response to Pervez Khattak's remarks wherein he said that he repeatedly advised PTI chairman Imran Khan to have "positive thinking." However, he did not pay attention to his advice.

Pervez Khattak made these remarks while speaking to media personnel at his residence in Manki Sharif area of Nowshera. It is pertinent to note here that Khattak stepped down as PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President after protests on May 9.

The statement shared on the official Twitter handle of PTI said Pervez Khattak was trying to "mislead the nation via such false and baseless allegations" after resigning from the party positions, The News International reported.

According to the statement, Khattak as PTI's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa President was fully involved in all the decisions of the party. However, he was also in contact with the establishment. The statement further said that Khattak instead of making allegations against PTI chairman Imran Khan should make a decision on whether he wants to be part of the party or not.

Earlier on June 22, PTI issued Pervez Khattak a show-cause notice seeking an explanation for allegedly inciting party members to leave PTI. The notice issued by PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan asked Khattak to explain his stance on the anti-party move within seven days of the notice, The News International reported.

It was stated in the notice that if his response was found unsatisfactory or he did not respond, further action will be taken according to the party's policy and rules. Pervez Khattak is yet to respond to the party's notice, according to The News International report.

Earlier, Khattak had said that the attacks on May 9 were carried out under a well-conceived conspiracy to undermine the army. He further said that a handful of workers motivated by "revolutionary thinking" caused damage to the country, the report said. He had said that he "rejects this revolutionary thinking" and believed in non-violence and peace.

PTI's former provincial president said that he was holding consultations with former lawmakers from the provice to decide on a strategy to steer the country out of the prevailing crisis. He said that Pakistan could not affored revolutionary politics.