ISLAMABAD:
Questions are once again being raised about growing internal differences within Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after not a single party leader turned up at Adiala jail to meet party founder and jailed former prime minister Imran Khan on Thursday.
The official session ended without any leader arriving even though the party had sent a list of six members – Senator Falak Naz Chitrali, Fazal Elahi, Ehtesham Khan, Sardar Ghulam Ali Asghar Khan Leghari, Syed Naseebullah Agha and Chaudhry Javed Akhtar Gujjar – to the jail authorities the previous day.
It is the second time in just two weeks that no one from the party leadership came to the meeting. Last week, heavyweights including PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Sardar Latif Khosa, Babar Awan, Hamid Khan, Intizar Panjotha and Salman Akram Raja were on the list to meet Imran Khan but none turned up. It is also only the third such absence within the last two and a half years.
The Islamabad High Court (IHC) has allowed Imran Khan meetings twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays, with his family, lawyers and other associates. Despite the order, the former premier has been largely restricted from meeting visitors for months.
Yet Imran Khan’s sisters appear every week, whether they are allowed to meet or not. The family has become wary of the PTI leadership’s inconsistency and has accused them of not being serious about working for Imran Khan’s release.
Aleema Khan has openly expressed strong anger at the party leadership this week. She criticized senior leaders, including Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Chief Minister Sohail Afridi and Barrister Gohar, for not doing enough to secure her brother’s release and for remaining silent when strong action is needed.
Last week she also criticized senior part leader Salman Akram raja’s role. Her statements have highlighted the family’s frustration with the party’s approach during this difficult time. In stark contrast, Prime Minister Afridi has come forward with a strong message of action on the ground.
In a video statement, Afridi declared: “Chairman Imran Khan has assigned me the responsibility to prepare for the street movement. God willing, I will arrive in Muzaffarabad on Saturday, April 25 at 2 pm, where I will meet you all at Lal Chowk.”
Afridi’s announcement comes as the PTI looks set to restart street protests. The plan is to begin in Muzaffarabad and then move to other major cities including Lahore on May 1. The main demand remains Imran Khan’s release and stronger political opposition.
Tensions have also emerged between PTI and Tehreek-e-Tahafuz-e-Ayin-e-Pakistan (TTAP) – an opposition alliance – overlapping plans for May 1 in Lahore. TTAP is already scheduled to visit the city on Labor Day at the invitation of Ammar Ali Jan’s Haqooq-e-Khalq Party, while Afridi announced a PTI street movement event on the same day.
This has created a visible rift, with TTAP expressing concern that the overlapping events could trigger a government response and create confusion.
TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain told The Express Pakinomist that the matter stemmed from miscommunication and after the meeting with PTI the other day had been resolved. He added that both sides were expected to announce a clear position within a day or two.
