ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan in a July 4 letter addressing retd Justice Wajihuddin Ahmed blamed the retired judge for "damaging the PTI".

"All your pronouncements are unwarranted and devoid of underlying authority besides damaging the PTI," he said, accusing Wajihuddin of 'overstepping his mandate'.

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The PTI chief said Wajihuddin's "pronouncements since dissolution of the election tribunal ... encouraged opportunists within the party and those who were expelled for valid reasons to exploit the situation and settle personalised vendettas against party leaders", which he said may "lead to undermining the party's public standing and provide pretext to our political opponents causing growing concern among a vast swathe of party workers."

He also spoke of a "man with question marks over his conduct including on financial matters" who he had warned the tribunal about, saying he had targeted "senior and respectable party members in what has evidently become a personalised vendetta."

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Imran Khan said Wajihuddin no longer had the authority to issue edicts on behalf of the "defunct election tribunal", which was "established for a specific purpose and with time-bound existence". He said the tribunals job was to probe petitions relating to intra-party elections.

The PTI chairman said the tribunal had been dissolved as its recommendations had been implemented.

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"The tribunal had no authority to order shortening the terms of office bearers of the party as these were contained in the PTI constitution. Nor did the tribunal have the authority to assert that a caretaker set up be appointed immediately, members of which would not be able to participate in the next intra-party elections," he said.

The PTI chairman concluded by saying that, although he respected the elder, he could not allow him or anyone else to "damage" the party by trangressing the limits of their mandate.

He 'formally requested' Wajihuddin to "refrain from making any more pronouncements on behalf of the defunct election tribunal."

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"I will continue to take all steps necessary to ensure that my work and struggle for the party is not undermined."

A copy of the letter obtained by DawnNews.

Khan said the tribunal had been dissolved as its recommendations had been implemented. ─ DawnNews screengrab