Islamabad:
PTI founder Imran Khan, while announcing that the door of conversations with the powerful stakeholders was still open, declared on Tuesday that a nationwide protest movement was now the party’s only remaining opportunity.
While taking back full control of party people by becoming PTI’s cartridge-in-chief, the former prime minister said he would lead a nationwide protest movement from the prison and declare it the party’s only remaining path after allegedly being shut out of political and legal ways.
The new cartridge-in-the-chief appointed opposition leader in the National Assembly, Omar Ayub, to coordinate the protest campaign, apparently sidelines of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur, who previously used to deal with such a responsibility.
PTI Supremo gave no timeline for the protest movement, but said it would not be limited to Islamabad this time. Khan clarified once again that his willingness to negotiate was only in Pakistan’s broader interest, not for any personal relief.
The messages came through PTI chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, who met Khan in Adiala prison during the procedure of the Toshakhana II case.
In a speech with the media afterwards, PTI chairman said Khan believes that “all doors have been closed” on PTI and that a peaceful nationwide protest was now the only path forward.
According to Gohar, Khan made it clear that he himself would lead the protest movement and issue all the instructions through the NA opposition leader.
It is important that Gohar confirmed that this time the communication regarding the protest would not trust Gandapur, who had previously been tasked with organizing and leading such events.
“For Ali Amin Khan Sahib,” he said the instructions right now are: ‘Concentrate on the province and the governance. “
“Different responsibilities will be assigned to different individuals,” Goohar said, stressing that Khan has full confidence in party leadership and recognizes the victims that many in the party reach.
In response to a question, he clarified that no date or timeframe for the protest movement has been revealed yet, saying that Khan would determine the timing himself.
To another question, Gohar confirmed that Khan has taken over the role of PTI’s cartridge-in-chief, which effectively repeated full control over the decision-making of the party.
“From now on, all key decisions will be made by the PTI founder,” said Gohar, repeating that he was the one who also used to make all decisions before. “He was, is and will remain the leader forever,” he said.
Gohar, who rejected rumors of his own removal, insisted that he remains the legitimate party’s chairman as long as Khan decides it and said Khan was, is and will always remain the party’s Supremo, and he was only fulfilled duties until Khan was in prison.
“These are just baseless rumors,” he replied to the speculation, adding that some people were spreading rumors of his removal to cause confusion.
Gohar emphasized that his own preference is back for dialogue rather than confrontation and said he has always tried to solve problems through negotiation and still wanted it.
However, he added that Khan believes that “no political path has become open” for PTI, especially after what he described as alleged rigging in the recent sambrial election at the heels of alleged mandate theft in the parliamentary elections.
