PESHAWAR: The Jamaat-i-Islami, who was routed in the July 25 election, has expelled several senior members of the district Shura (executive council) and terminated their basic membership for violating its constitution.

In a statement issued by the JI provincial headquarters here on Monday, secretary general of the party Abdul Wasi said investigations had been launched against those, who reportedly violated the party’s policies and discipline during the recent election.

He said JI provincial chief Senator Mushtaq Ahmad Khan had expelled Shura members in Peshawar and Lower Dir districts on the recommendation of the relevant party units.

Mr Wasi said the basic party membership of those members had also been terminated.

Action taken against Peshawar, Lower Dir members for breaching party’s constitution

The 20 expelled shura members include Ajmal Khan, Mohammad Karim, Noor Mohammad, Qazi Azizul Haq, Nisar Ahmad, Ghulam Mohammad, Abdul Kabir Khan and Fazal Rahim from Lower Dir and Israrullah advocate, Fazlullah Daudzai, Lutfullah, Mohammad Nauman, Mohammad Iqbal, Atif Hussain, Sher Zaman, Haroon Luqman, Sohail Khan, Shaukat Sadozai, Dr Fayaz Khan and Niaz Mohammad from Peshawar.

The JI, a major member of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, had suffered the worst electoral defeat on July 25 by securing only one seat from Upper Dir district. Party chief Senator Sirajul Haq, who had contested the July 25 election in home district Lower Dir’s NA-7 constituency had also lost seat to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Dir is considered to be the JI stronghold, which is also referred as its ‘Granada’. However, the party suffered defeat apparently due to internal differences. The JI candidates had contested election for 39 seats of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and only Inayatullah Kahn retained his seat from Upper Dir.

The statement said inquiry committees had been constituted at the district level to review organisational matters from top to bottom.

It added that the party would take further action in light of the reports of inquiry committees.

Sources said the party was in deep crisis due to the alleged nepotism in the award of election tickets as dozens of members had either left it before election or tendered resignations.

An insider told Dawn that for the first time in the JI history, a member had filed nomination papers against party chief Sirajul Haq in Lower Dir showing the magnitude of resentment among members.

Sources said several members of the executive councils in various districts had resigned from the party and joined other parties.

They said Noor Mohammad had left the party before election and contested against JI candidate and former finance minister Muzafar Said in PK-15.

“The notification of the expulsion of shura members is just eyewash as several members have already quit the party,” said an insider.

He said Qazi Azizul Haq, who was terminated, had left the party and contested election against JI nominee Saeed Gul in the PK-17 constituency.

Similarly, senior members of JI shura in Lower Dir, including Professor Nisar Ahmad, Ghulam Mohammad, Abdul Kabir and Fazal Rahim, had joined the Pakistan Peoples Party and Awami National Party, while former JI information secretary Israrullah advocate had joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Israrullah’s brother, Fazlullah, who had served as deputy chief of the JI Peshawar district, has also left the party and contested election on the PML-N ticket.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2018