ISLAMABAD: Former Prime Minister Imran Khan’s party, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), suspended the membership of its senior member, Faisal Vawda, over statements regarding the killing of journalist Arshad Sharif in Kenya and an antigovernment protest march by the party due to begin Friday
In a presser on Wednesday night, Vawda said Khan’s planned “long march” could result in a “bloodbath” and said the conspiracy to kill Sharif had been hatched in Pakistan, with no involvement of the military establishment.
According to authorities in the East African country, the Pakistani journalist was killed Sunday night when the car he was in sped up and drove through a checkpoint outside the Kenyan capital, prompting police to open fire. Nairobi police say the shooting was being treated as a case of mistaken identity.
The PTI has raised questions over the version of Kenyan police and Khan has repeatedly said he was aware of threats to Sharif’s life and had adviced him to go abroad.
“You have grossly violated discipline by giving statements against party policies and guidelines,” a show cause letter to Vawda dated Oct. 26 said. “This is a serious violation of party rules as per constitution therefore you are required to submit a reply within 2 days of this notice stating why your party membership should not be canceled.”
PTI Sindh president Ali Zaidi posted the show cause notice to Twitter.
Another senior member of the PTI and former minister, Asad Umar, said Vawda’s statement did not represent party policy.
“President sindh has been told on the instructions of the chairman @ImranKhanPTI, to issue show cause notice to faisal for violating party policy,” Umar said.
During his presser, Vawda called Sharif’s “murder” premeditated and said he was shot by someone inside his vehicle.
“It is not like 20 bullets were fired and Arshad Sharif was martyred,” he told journalists at the National Press Club in Islamabad. “In my estimation, Arshad Sharif was shot from inside the car or at close range.”
He said the slain Pakistani journalist had only received “two bullets in his chest and head.”
Vawda said no one would find Sharif’s cellphone or laptop since “all evidence in the case had already been erased.”
The former federal minister refused to identify anyone behind Sharif’s killing, but said he had named the alleged killers in a video recording.
“I have made a video and have given names of those people […] I have given those names internationally. I have given millions of dollars. I have a clear message, if I am shot and killed then you’ll be killed too.”
“No normal person could have sent Arshad Sharif to Kenya. Who hid him and was in contact with him in Kenya? Behind it are those conspirators and liars who want to break the country, break my party and damage this country,” Vawda said.
The politician said the establishment had been in contact with Sharif: “He was ready to come back to Pakistan. He had no issue. Then fear was set in that let’s get him killed so the evidence will be gone and fire will erupt ... Now you all will ask me, how do I know all this and why. When Arshad Sharif went from this country, from that day to the last days, I was in contact with him and my phone is available for forensic analysis.”
The PTI leader said those behind the conspiracy to kill Sharif were present inside Pakistan and “internationally connected”.
“Arshad Sharif was murdered. He had no danger from here, the establishment which we take the name of, had positive contact with him and I was part of that,” he said, saying he would name the perpetrators in the upcoming days.
“Establishment has no role in this killing,” Vawda said.
Separately, he also said the PTI’s upcoming long march to Islamabad would be “bloody,” with “bodies falling” and innocent people dying.
He alleged that this too was a part of a conspiracy: “Imran Khan’s peaceful march is our right but I’m clearly telling you I’m seeing blood, deaths and funerals in this march.”
PTI Sindh president Zaidi responded to Vawda’s comments, saying he had “tried to damage our #LongMarch.”
“When @ImranKhanPTI has clearly issued instructions for all to remain peaceful, what weight does his presser carry?,” he added.
