Apologise, resign from Parliament, PTI tells Ayesha Gulalai

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday issued a "legal notice" to former party member Ayesha Gulalai for her scathing allegations against party chief Imran Khan, demanding that she apologise and resign from the National Assembly.

PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that since Gulalai has accused the party of moral and financial corruption, she should no longer retain her National Assembly seat won on the PTI's ticket. He added that if she fails to resign, the party will request the Election Commission of Pakistan to denotify her.

"We know that she (Gulalai) met Amir Muqam a day before she held the press conference," Chaudhry maintained, implying that she was in talks with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz party.

Gulalai in a press conference on Tuesday, however, denied that she would be joining the PML-N and levelled a series of serious allegations against Imran Khan and other top party members.

Another party member, Alia Hamza, expressed her anger at Gulalai's allegations, saying that Imran Khan had never disrespected her or any other female party member.

"Our party is called the women's party," Hamza claimed. "With her accusations, she has not insulted Khan -- she has insulted us (women)."

In an angry tirade, Hamza asked why Gulalai remained in the party for four years if she was facing harassment. Hamza accused her of ruining politics for women for personal gains.

"You weren't even part of the core committee, yet you sat on the stage with party leaders during the (thanksgiving celebrations)," she said. "Imran Khan and the party gave you immense respect."

Gulalai, who hails from Waziristan and was elected to the Lower House on a reserved seat for women from the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, announced her exit from the party on Tuesday, making allegations against Imran Khan and other top party members.

Gulalai made the announcement moments before the election of a new Prime Minister, and claimed "ill-treatment" of women in the PTI. She said she had conveyed her grievances to the party leadership but no action had been taken.

--IANS

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