PTI suspends Faisal Vawda's membership after claims of violence-marred long march

• PTI seeks answer from Faisal Vawda within two days.
• "I am surprised at Vawda's press conference," Fawad says.
• Vawda claimed long march to see "bloodshed, death, funerals".

PTI claimed Wednesday that party leader Faisal Vawda tried damaging the party's upcoming long march to Islamabad and distanced itself from his statement after the ex-federal minister said the protests would witness bloodshed.

In the show-cause notice issued to Vawda, PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi told the former minister that he had "grossly violated discipline by giving statements against party policies and guidelines".

"This is in serious violation of party rules as per the constitution, therefore, you are required to submit a reply within two days of this notice stating why your party membership should not be cancelled."

Zaidi said that until his response, his party membership would remain suspended and he would not be allowed to hold any party office or represent the party in the media.

'Bloodshed, death, and funerals'

In his press conference earlier, Vawda said that PTI's long march — set to kick start from Lahore on October 28 (Friday) — would "witness bloodshed, death, and funerals."

"These funerals will definitely be held, but I will try until my dying breath to save my Pakistanis from sacrificing their lives for a conspiracy hatched by some people. I will try to end this politics of death and bloodshed in this country."

Vawda said that "important and common" people's deaths will take place in the long march, adding that there were "ulterior motives" behind the march to Islamabad.

He said that several deaths will take place before and during the long march as the motive is to "divert the attention" so that the nation "would start seeing things in black as white".

'False' statement

In conversation with a private television channel right after Vawda's hard-hitting presser, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the party leader's claims of bloodshed during the march were "false".

"PTI's march will be peaceful," Fawad said, voicing PTI Chairman Imran Khan's statement that the march would see no violence and he would not allow his workers to be arrested.

"Frankly, I am surprised and confused at Faisal Vawda's press conference. We were unaware of his press conference," the senior PTI leader said.

He added that he would call Vawda and inquire about his media talk.

In a tweet, PTI Secretary-General Asad Umar said Vawda's statement does not represent party policy and views, adding that a show-cause notice would be issued to him.

"President Sindh has been told on the instructions of the chairman Imran Khan to issue show cause notice to Faisal for violating party policy," Umar said.

Zaidi said Vawda tried to "damage" the party's long march as he cast aspersions behind the motives of the presser.

"Interestingly all channels + PTV covered the presser so it’s clear that #ImportedGovernment launched him. But he made no sense," the former federal minister said.

Zaidi asked that when Khan has clearly issued instructions for all to remain peaceful, then what weight Vawda's presser carried.

PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari asked whether the state broadcaster PTV was devolved to Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — where the Khan-led party is in power.

"Is that why they just kindly aired Faisal Vadwa’s press conference? Will they show all of ours daily from now on? Or was this one special?" he wondered.

PTI leader Babar Awan said that the strategy for the long march would remain the same as earlier stated by the party chairman.

"The leadership, workers and people are united on a peaceful protest within the framework of the constitution and law," Awan said in a tweet.

In a press conference, Punjab government’s spokesperson Musarrat Jamshed Cheema said that Vawda levelled baseless allegations against the party and attempted to frighten PTI workers.

"Nawaz Sharif — who does not remember his statements after two minutes — issued a response right after Vawda's press conference ended," she said.

Cheema stressed that no one would be able to stop the upcoming "peaceful revolution" and asked supporters to bring their children along with them.