Firebrand Marwat buries the hatchet with PTI leaders after meeting Imran Khan

RAWALPINDI, AUG 17: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) firebrand stalwart Sher Afzal Marwat announced on Saturday that he set aside differences with the party leaders after holding a meeting with the incarcerated party founder Imran Khan.

“I met Imran Khan today after a gap of three months,” said Marwat while speaking to journalists outside Rawalpindi’s Adiala Jail. He added: “I shook hands with him and the PTI founder hugged me. There was an exchange of complaints from both sides.”

The PTI lawmaker in the National Assembly, who had been engaged in a tense verbal duel with fellow party leaders for a few months, said that he was putting aside his disagreement with the party following the orders and assurance of Khan.

The politico, who had faced termination of his basic party membership over the violation of party discipline earlier this month, announced that only the PTI founder could sack him from the party. Marwat also apologised for his statements against the PTI leaders.

Elaborating on his future strategy, the PTI firebrand politician said that he was given responsibility to start preparation for August 22 power show.

He added that PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan gave a clear message that differences within the party should not surface again and all of the leaders are now united.

The outspoken politician of the embattled former ruling party has faced wrath from fellow leaders multiple times after delivering blunt and controversial remarks against them and on other issues.

Earlier this year, Marwat landed himself in hot water after he had claimed that Saudi Arabia was also allegedly involved in the toppling of the Khan-led government in 2022.

The top leadership of the former ruling party not only distanced itself from Marwat’s statement about Riyadh but also served a show-cause notice on the beleaguered senior leader of the PTI.

Later in August, the PTI decided to cancel Marwat’s basic party membership for “gross violation/ breach” of discipline.

However, the move divided the Imran-founded party’s top leadership as the notification, endorsed by PTI Additional Secretary General Firdous Shamim Naqvi and a group of leaders, was termed “fake” by the party chairman.