ISLAMABAD/LAHORE, FEB 21 /DNA/: After divisions surfaced within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over the health of party founder Imran Khan, the party is now split again over Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi’s announcement of a “force” to secure the former prime minister’s release.
On the eve of Ramadan, the Tehreek Tahaffuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP) abruptly ended its sit-in outside the Supreme Court. Speaking at the same venue, Afridi announced plans to form a force aimed at freeing Imran Khan, a move that caught many in the party off guard.
During a Geo News talk show, PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram said he first learned of the proposal when Afridi made the announcement.
However, he contended that it could be a proposal put forward by the chief minister and there would be deliberations. He added that Sohail Afridi, who is also a member of the PTI Political Committee, would present the reasons as to why such a force was needed when the party already had existing bodies such as the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) and PTI Youth Wings.
He pointed out that if the chief minister himself stated that people from the party and its wings would be part of the proposed force, then it was worth questioning whether such a force was truly required on the ground. He emphasised that such a force would need endorsement from the Political Committee or Secretary General Salman Akram Raja.
Contrary to this viewpoint, Shafi Ullah Jan, an aide to the KP chief minister, said in Geo News’ “Naya Pakistan” talk show that once the chief minister had made the announcement, the force would have to be established and there was no need for endorsement from the Political Committee or the PTI secretary general.
“I am unable to understand how to respond to the point raised by Sheikh Waqas Akram that the force needed endorsement from the Political Committee or the secretary general, but when the chief minister has made an announcement, then the force will be formed,” he maintained.
When pressed further, he said the party would be taken on board on the establishment of the force. However, since the party founder had entrusted the responsibility of street movement to Sohail Afridi, if he felt that such a force could be useful in rallying people towards achieving the objective, then it would be done in any case.
In response to a question, he noted that the announcement of a new force was discussed in the party’s Political Committee meeting on Thursday. However, he did not elaborate further. But it was learnt that the forum was sharply divided on the idea of having such a body in the presence of a full-fledged party structure and its different wings.
Separately, five senior PTI leaders, incarcerated in Lahore’s Kot Lakhpat jail, called for the postponement of all protest activities during Ramadan and urged the party to shift its immediate focus towards parliamentary politics. In a joint letter issued to the media from Kot Lakhpat jail, the party leaders — Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Dr Yasmin Rashid, Ejaz Ahmed Chaudhry, Umar Sarfraz Cheema and Mian Mahmood Rashid — said that in view of the sanctity of the holy month, every form of protest movement should be deferred.
They also demanded that the government immediately stop politicising PTI founder Imran Khan’s health and ensure that his treatment was carried out in consultation with his sisters and personal doctors. They strongly condemned the recent remarks by President Asif Ali Zardari against Imran Khan, terming the statement inappropriate for the office of the head of state. “Khan was enduring imprisonment with dignity despite extremely difficult circumstances,” they added.
The PTI leadership was urged to further organise and intensify legal proceedings in courts for his medical treatment, while ensuring regular meetings of party office-bearers, lawyers and family members with the former prime minister. The jailed leaders appealed to the TTAP to play a proactive role in parliament and use parliamentary instruments to expose what they described as the government’s worst performance.
They further proposed that the core committee and political committee nominated by Imran Khan should hold detailed deliberations on the deteriorating political situation and take decisions through consensus. In case consensus is not possible, decisions should be made by a clear majority, formally documented in writing and made binding on all party office-bearers.
The party policy, they said, should be communicated to the media and the public only through the chairman, secretary general and information secretary so that all leaders speak in line with an agreed narrative. Calling for a complete organisational revival, the letter urged PTI office-bearers at every level to reorganise and reactivate the party structure and take the organisation down to the grassroots across the country in preparation for local government elections. The leaders also stressed the need to reorganise and activate all party wings, saying a disciplined and dynamic organisation was essential for any effective political struggle.
The imprisoned leaders also called on the party to consistently highlight the country’s worsening security situation, rising terrorism, fragile economy, deadly inflation, poverty, unemployment, growing number of out-of-school children, unchecked population growth and what they termed continued disregard for corruption at all levels.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that KP CM Sohail Afridi’s job “was at risk”, saying his recently announced “Release Imran Khan Force” was unconstitutional and illegal.
“The KP chief minister announced the release force to save his job. Except for the federal government, no one has the right to create any force,” he told Geo News.
The defence czar clarified that there had never been any discussion about moving the PTI founder abroad or to Bani Gala — Imran’s residence in Islamabad. “Perhaps, approaches were made regarding facilities,” he said, adding, “Someone was trying to keep their shop open through such talks.”
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