• Founder asks PTI leaders to refrain from criticising each other in public; reiterates need to focus on protest ‘as time for talks is over’
• Insiders say most middle-tier leaders not satisfied with top brass’ handling of Aug 5 protest, seek concrete plan
AFTER Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur caught nearly everyone by surprise when he gave a fresh deadline — ostensibly on behalf of incarcerated former PM Imran Khan — public disagreements over the party’s strategy to secure the release of their jailed leaders have spilled out into the open.
With both the middle- and top-tier leaders virtually ‘airing their dirty laundry’, the party founder — who personally doesn’t have access to social media in jail — has had to intervene, asking party leaders and supporters to refrain from expressing dissent in public, and instead focus on the Aug 5 protest.
Differences between various groups within the party, which have already been widely reported, resurfaced after CM Gandapur blindsided party leaders and came up with a new, 90-day deadline.
The apparent ‘postponement’ came under scrutiny right away, with Aliya Hamza Malik — the party’s main organiser in Punjab, tasked with mobilisation ahead of the Aug 5 — questioning the motive behind the move.
Although her blunt query attracted a rebuke from Secretary General Salman Akram Raja, asking her not to express such views in public, the party’s parliamentary leader in the Senate threw his weight behind her. “Ms Malik’s complaint was right,” Senator Ali Zafar reportedly told Mr Raja, adding that she should have been consulted in the matter.
Since then, Mr Raja has changed his stance on the Aug 5 movement, saying the extension was the ‘personal opinion’ of the KP CM.
It was already apparent from this argument that the party’s top-tier leadership is not seeing eye to eye on how to proceed with the ‘free Imran’ movement.
The way battle lines seem to be drawn at the moment, it seems that leaders like Ms Malik — who are working on the ground to mobilise people for the Aug 5 protest — have the backing of Barristers Ali Zafar and Gohar Ali Khan.
On the other side are Mr Raja and the group led by former PTI Punjab president Hammad Azhar.
Both camps are said to have the support of a couple of regional presidents in Punjab.
Against this backdrop, insiders told Dawn that most middle-tier leaders were not satisfied with the performance and ability of their seniors, who were orchestrating affairs at the top. “The top leaders, though appointed by Mr Khan himself, are unable to capitalise on the pressure generated,” a senior Punjab leader told Dawn, admitting that there was a leadership crisis in the party.
Meanwhile, the workers who have been enlisted by Ms Malik to make arrangements for the upcoming protest are demanding for a roadmap for the Aug 5 movement.
Imran ‘intervenes’
In the midst of this tug-of-war, a message from the incarcerated party leader — the only authority figure who can hope to exercise any discipline at the moment — has called on “every member of the party to put aside all personal grievances”.
“Publicly airing internal matters or individual concerns before the media is entirely unacceptable,” said a message, posted on his official X account on Wednesday.
Even though Mr Khan doesn’t operate the account himself, there is a strong perception that the messages being relayed through it are generated at the behest of Mr Khan’s sister, Aleema.
“There is absolutely no question of bowing down, even if I have to spend my entire life in prison. I convey this same message to the people of Pakistan: under no circumstances should you submit to this tyrannical system. The time for negotiations has passed. What remains now is the time for the nation to rise in protest,” read the tweet posted on Mr Khan’s account.
He said hardships inflicted upon him in jail had “intensified in the recent days”, claiming the same was true for his wife Bushra Bibi. “All fundamental human rights and basic prisoner entitlements, both mine and hers, have been suspended. This must be accounted for,” he said in the tweet.
“At this time, many, including myself, are enduring some of the harshest imprisonments. Therefore, I direct every member of the party to put aside all personal grievances. Publicly airing internal matters or individual concerns before the media is entirely unacceptable,” he said.
He urged the party workers and leaders to focus on the protest movement, warning that those who fail to do so would answer to him.
“If any party official fails to participate in this movement, I will make the final decision about them myself, even from jail.
I instruct all party members and office-bearers to personally retweet my messages on Twitter (now X), and ensure they are shared as extensively as possible. The party should decide on nominations for the Senate tickets through mutual consultation,“ the post on X said.
Published in Dawn, July 17th, 2025
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