Internal differences: PTI leaders fear protest movement will fail – Pakistan

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is planning an aggressive campaign against alleged rigging in the February 8 general elections and has formed a committee of more than two dozen members to do so, but local English dailies has claimed that restlessness and opposition among key PTI leaders could affect the campaign.

Local newspaper report According to PTI, there is discontent within the ranks of the party with many key PTI leaders in jail or in hiding, mainly due to the inability of the current leadership to attract large crowds. There are also complaints within the party that the 26-member committee appointed to plan the protest has ignored “loyal leaders”, while many in the organization have gone “underground”.

But PTI Punjab Information Secretary Shaukat Basra has dismissed these concerns and termed all the members as “party’s asset”.

PTI has been largely silent since the May 9, 2023 events in Punjab. In the 11 months that followed, the party attempted to stage protests, but were foiled by the police.

Now, the party plans to build pressure again and establish its foothold in Punjab, for which a 26-member committee will plan to hold rallies across Punjab.

Hammad Azhar, Aoon Abbas Bapi, Seembia Tahir, Ijaz Minhas, Kanwal Shuzab, Rehana Dar, Meher Bano Qureshi, Zartaj Gul, Hafiz Hamid Raza, Monis Elahi, Retired Major Tahir Sadiq, Sheikh Waqas Akram, Malik Amir Dogar, Advocate Salman. , Akram Raja, Zulfi Bukhari, Zain Qureshi, Ahmed Chatha, Malik Ahmed Bachar, Moin Riaz Qureshi, Mian Aslam Iqbal, Shaukat Basra, Shabbir Qureshi, Rai Hassan Nawaz, Maher Abdul Sattar, Shadab Jafri and Zubair Niazi.

According to a local newspaper, some PTI leaders say that many of the names made part of the committee are those who have been involved in the ‘protests’ called by PTI founder Imran Khan in recent months (especially Jo 2 and held in Punjab on March 10) stayed away from’.

Despite the apprehensions, the committee held its first meeting online and agreed to hold a general meeting in Faisalabad on the platform of the six-party opposition alliance. The exact date of the meeting will be decided later by the coalition leaders.

Speaking to a local English newspaper, several party leaders and activists expressed doubts about the success of the planned demonstrations and public meetings, as there is no leader who has the capacity to draw crowds.

Expressing displeasure with the committee, some leaders claimed that PTI Central Punjab General Secretary Hamad Azhar had “ignored” supporters and activists who had staged protests in the recent past and the current Punjab government. “Stand in the face of wrath”.

He also questioned Hamad Azhar’s absence from public view despite being granted bail by the Peshawar High Court.

After criticism from within the party, Hammad Azhar had also resigned from the post of General Secretary of Central Punjab, but this was not accepted on the instructions of the founder of PTI.

PTI leaders said about the protest in Lahore last month that many leaders and lawyers who dared to protest on Mall Road were not included in the 26-member committee.

With the party’s core leadership in jail, there is a perception in PTI ranks that the second and third tier leadership failed to strengthen the party despite the massive public support shown by the February 8 polls. Is.

The said local newspaper contacted PTI’s Central Information Secretary Rauf Hasan, but he asked to give his version ‘after getting the details’ and did not respond thereafter, while Shaukat Basra said his party Almost every member of the KS faced the wrath of the police for coming out to protest.

Describing the committee members as an “asset of the party”, Shaukat Basra said that the struggle of one party leader is in no way less than another.

He said that some leaders of the party including lawyers may have been ignored but they will get places in various committees and we will start public struggle after the by-elections.