Cast away: Speaker forwards Javed Nasim’s case to poll chief

Claims his membership of the K-P Assembly should be terminated.

PESHAWAR: Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has forwarded the case of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf dissident lawmaker Javed Nasim to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) to initiate action against him under Article 63-A(a) of the Constitution.

On Tuesday, PTI had announced to expel Nasim from the party and wrote to the K-P Assembly speaker to initiate action against him for violating the party’s discipline. In a letter, PTI chief Imran Khan informed Nasim about his expulsion from the party for failing to reply to a show-cause notice issued on Sunday.

In a separate letter, senior party leader Naeemul Haq also asked Qaiser to strip Nasim of his provincial assembly membership.

In his order, a copy of which is available with The Express Tribune, Qaiser noted that Nasim was elected to the K-P Assembly from PK-III, Peshawar on a PTI ticket.

The letter has been copied to the CEC, member concerned, K-P election commissioner, chief secretary and principal secretary to chief minister.

It adds that Nasim had seconded the nomination papers of independent candidates Waqar Ahmed Khan and Fauzia Fakhruz Zaman for the Senate polls against the stated party policy.

Qaiser added Nasim was issued a show-cause notice on February 28, directing him to explain in writing within 24 hours why he should not be expelled from the party.

It noted that Nasim failed to respond to the show-cause notice and the PTI chairman consequently expelled him, terminating his membership with immediate effect. The speaker went on to note that, in his opinion, Nasim ceases to be a member of the assembly due to gross violation and his case has been forwarded to the CEC for initiating action against him under clause (3) of Article 63-A (a) of the Constitution.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 5^th, 2015.