PTI Issues Show-Cause Notice to Senator Dr Zarqa for 'Violating Party Discipline'

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued a show-cause notice to Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur for what the party described as a "gross violation of party discipline", directing her to submit a written explanation within seven days.

The show-cause notice was issued under the signature of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan. The show-cause notice was issued under the direct instructions of the competent authority and the central leadership of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

According to the notice, the specific ground for the action is: “Unauthorized Statements on Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK) that do not reflect the policy of the party and contradict the firm position of the party in support of the right to speak, gather in association and carry out peaceful protest.”

The notice states that during her floor speech in the Senate of Pakistan on June 15, 2026, Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur chose to voice purely personal opinions regarding the situation in Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJK) and the Joint Awami Action Committee (JAAC). It says that her remarks openly contradicted the consistent stance of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in support of all democratic rights and the demand for such rights, adding that the language used was derogatory as regards the residents of AJK.

The notice further states that the alleged violation is substantiated by her recorded address on the Senate floor. Subsequent media clips and digital press broadcasts where she defended her unsanctioned remarks that are against party policy, the notice added.

According to the notice, by using her parliamentary platform to broadcast personal views, she created public confusion and actively damaged the party’s cohesive pro-democracy political narrative on a highly sensitive national issue.

The notice reads that in light of the above violations, the notice directs Senator Dr. Zarqa Suharwardy Taimur to explain her position in writing within seven (7) days of the issuance of the notice.

The notice also states that she must desist from expressing views on sensitive matters of national and regional importance against the position of the party, adding that all such issues should be raised within the party before any public position is taken.