PPP suspends Latif Khosa’s membership

Party objects to lawyer defending PTI chief sans approval

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE:

The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Friday suspended the party membership of senior leader Advocate Latif Khosa, a week after serving him a show-cause notice for representing PTI chief Imran Khan in various court cases.

The move came after Khosa did not respond to the show-cause notice served by PPP Secretary-General Syed Nayyer Hussain Bukhari last week.

Advocate Khosa, who was a member of the PPP's Central Executive Committee (CEC), was chided by the party leadership for representing the head of another political party in various court cases.

“If by removing me, they want to appease certain quarters, then let it be,” the senior politician said.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Khosa said that the show-cause notice and the subsequent suspension was unlawful and absurd.

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“These people seem to have no knowledge of the basic party law submitted to the ECP. The only valid reason for suspending someone’s membership is if one defies a party order. I have done no such thing, so legally this entire exercise by the party is nothing short of a joke.”

He said if they wanted to give preference to power politics over people’s politics, then “let them have their way”.

“I don’t care about what they are saying. No one can deprive me of my right to take on a client of my choosing,” Khosa said, adding that it was unfortunate that party was trying to intervene in his personal space.

“If they have drifted from the manifesto of late Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and do not believe in the politics of late Benazir, then be it. I was part of the party when these kids were born [referring to Bilawal and his sisters],” he added.

To a question if he would challenge this decision at any forum, Khosa said this show-cause and suspension meant nothing to him. He added that the order to suspend his membership was illegal and had no meaning.

The show-cause notice stated, "You being a member of Central Executive Committee are defending/pleading/representing a head of another political party without prior approval of leadership in corruption cases in which he has been convicted and in a case against him under Official Secrets Act, while delivering a speech in lawyers function you criticised the state policy regarding cipher."

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Khosa was given seven days to submit his reply with a warning that otherwise disciplinary action would be taken against him. On Friday, a message was posted on PPP social media X handle stating that

Khosa’s membership had been suspended.

Khosa, a senior and an eminent lawyer, has been of late very critical of the establishment, which has ruffled many feathers in his party. Latif was also representing PTI chief Imran Khan in several cases, including the Toshakhana one.

 

 

 

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