PPP suspends membership of Latif Khosa as he joins PTI
This action followed a show-cause notice issued a week earlier, wherein Khosa was questioned for representing Imran Khan in various legal matters
ISLAMABAD — Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) took the decision to suspend the party membership of Advocate Latif Khosa, a senior leader. This action followed a show-cause notice issued a week earlier, wherein Khosa was questioned for representing Imran Khan, the chief of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), in various legal matters. Despite the notice, Khosa did not respond, leading to the suspension.
Advocate Khosa, previously a member of the PPP’s Central Executive Committee (CEC), faced criticism from the party leadership for representing the leader of another political party in legal proceedings. Expressing his response, Khosa stated, “If by removing me, they want to appease certain quarters, then let it be.” In an interview with The Express Tribune, he deemed the show-cause notice and subsequent suspension as unlawful and absurd.
Khosa argued that the party’s action lacked legal basis, asserting that according to the party law submitted to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), membership suspension is justified only if one defies a party order. He emphasized that he had not violated any such directive and considered the party’s move a farce.
Regarding the party’s alleged departure from the principles of Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto, Khosa remarked, “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.” He expressed disappointment that the party was intervening in his personal choices, stating, “No one can deprive me of my right to take on a client of my choosing.”
In response to a question about challenging the decision, Khosa downplayed the significance of the show-cause notice and suspension, declaring them as meaningless to him. The initial notice had accused Khosa of defending Imran Khan without prior approval and criticized his remarks on state policy during a lawyers’ function.
Despite the warning in the notice that disciplinary action would follow if he failed to respond within seven days, Khosa continued to represent Imran Khan in various legal cases, including the Toshakhana case.