he Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is showing signs of serious internal discord. The biggest proof of infighting is the recent resignation of its secretary-general, Omar Ayub.
Media reports have suggested that 27 PTI-backed parliamentarian have threatened to resign or form a forward bloc.
Following the resignation offer, Imran Khan, the party’s founder-leader, too, has publicly admitted that there are rifts within the party and said he would be meeting representatives of the various factions. Talking to reporters in a courtroom in Adiala prison, Khan stressed that there were no big differences within the party.
Outwardly, there are two factions within the party. However, some party insiders say that there are no less than a dozen groups within the PTI all vying for prominence and control.
Though the formal PTI leaders deny the existence of any conflict in the party, the actions and statements of several leaders strengthen this impression. MNA Shandana Gulzar, while talking to media on Thursday outside Adiyala Jail where she had gone to meet Imran Khan along with some other PTI leaders, said: “There is no Punjabi or Pakhtun group in the party. We are united under Khan’s leadership.”
Senator Shibli Faraz also spoke to the media outside the jail after the administration did not allow the PTI leaders to meet Khan. “Some people have sneaked into the party to sow the seeds of discord in the party.” To dispel this impression, the leaders of the so-called Punjabi and Pakhtun groups held a joint media talk. “We........