The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Saturday issued show-cause notices to 14 of its dissident MNAs for allegedly allying with the opposition for the upcoming no-confidence motion against Prime Minister Imran Khan, Aaj News reported.

PTI secretary general Asad Umar signed the notices wherein the lawmakers were given seven days time to respond to the prime minister.

The notice stated that as per the article 63 (1) (A), lawmakers are bound to implement the party policy.

Notices have been served to Noor Alam Khan, Dr Muhammad Afzal Khan Dhandla, Nawab Sher, Wajiha Qamar, Nuzhat Pathan, Ramesh Kumar Vankwani, Raja Riaz Ahmed and Ahmed Hussain Deharr, Sardar Riaz Mehmood Khan Mazari, Rana Muhammad Qasim Noon, Khawja Sheraz Mehmood, Muhammad Abdul Ghafar Wattoo, Makhdoom Zada Syed Basit Ahmed Sultan and Aamir Talal Gopang

If the lawmakers fail to reply during the specified period of time, legal action will be initiated against them.

Dissident PTI MNAs were found taking "refuge" in Sindh House Islamabad on Thursday where a number of senior journalists interviewed them.

Speaking exclusively with Aaj News at the Sindh House premises, MNA Noor Alam Khan said he had moved out from Parliament Lodges after police action against Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl lawmakers last week.

He said that he was “very disappointed” to find out about allegations of bribery against the ruling party’s lawmakers.

In an effort to convince the dissident MNAs, Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid appealed to the lawmakers to come back, adding: "no one will say anything to them".

Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi also made a similar appeal, calling on the dissident MNAs to return to their ranks, saying that a “true friend never deserts his companion in difficult times”.

This story was first published in Business Recorder on March 19, 2022.