ISLAMABAD - Prime Minister Imran Khan Wednesday appointed his former close aide Saifullah Khan Niazi as the chief organiser of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) with the task to strengthen party roots throughout the country.

PM Imran Khan made this appointment in his capacity as the chairman of his own party following a meeting with Niazi.

Niazi called on PM at his office here on Wednesday to discuss party matters. During the meeting, the newly appointed chief organiser thanked PM for showing trust in him and vowed to work for the betterment of party.

Niazi had resigned as additional secretary general of PTI in 2016 after he developed differences with some senior leaders of the party. During the 2014 sit-in of PTI here in Islamabad, he was the chief of party’s committee tasked to make arrangements for the protest. At one time, Niazi headed his own group within the party mostly comprising of old and ideological workers of the party.

During 2018 General Election, he had applied for the PTI ticket to contest National Assembly election from a constituency of federal capital but the request was refused by the party’s parliamentary board.

“He will be responsible for reorganising the party in all four provinces, Azad Jammu & Kashmir (AJK), Gilgit Baltistan (GB), Islamabad and overseas,” said a notification of Niazi’s appointment issued by PM Imran Khan.

The notification further says that Niazi will also be responsible for formulating policy, finalising the party constitution and preparing the party for parliamentary and local bodies elections. It says that all office bearers shall coordinate with and report to the chief organiser PTI in all party matters.

“Saifullah Nizai is one of the senior most members of the party and I wish him best of luck in the performance of his duties,” the chairman said.

PTI has started a consultative process to review the party constitution in a move to strengthen the party at grassroots level before going into the next local bodies elections.

Following his meeting with PM, Niazi called on Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood, who is vice chairman of PTI also, at Foreign Office. The foreign minister congratulated Niazi over his appointment. Secretary General PTI Arshad Dad also facilitated Niazi over his appointment and said that party would benefit from his abilities.

Many PTI activists took to Twitter and congratulated Niazi over his new assignment.