KARACHI, Pakistan (AP) - The party of Pakistan’s prime minister-designate on Thursday suspended a newly elected lawmaker after a video surfaced online showing him beating up a citizen in the southern city of Karachi.
The action by the party of former cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan, Tahreek-e-Insaf, was intended to showed that it plans to take such offenses seriously.
Khan campaigned on promises he would root out corruption and ensure justice for all.
His party won most seats in parliament in the July 25 national elections.
The lawmaker in question, Imran Shah, has already publicly apologized for the incident on Wednesday in which he assaulted an unidentified citizen over a minor road accident.
However, the video is an embarrassment to Khan who is set to be elected prime minister in parliament on Friday.
Khan’s party in a statement said Shah’s party membership will remain suspended until the probe against him is completed.
Khan will be sworn in as prime minister by the country’s ceremonial President Mamnoon Hussain, who completes his five-year term next month.
Also Thursday, the country’s elections oversight body said Pakistan’s new president will be elected on Sept. 4.
Pakistan’s constitution stipulates that the president is indirectly elected by lawmakers from the National Assembly and the four provincial assemblies.
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