ISLAMABAD - The differences within the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) over its planned October 15 protest in Islamabad came out in the open on Tuesday with at least its two leaders entering into a verbal brawl in the party’s Political Committee.
Chief Minister of the PTI-ruled Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Ali Amin Gandapur and party’s Punjab president Hammad Azhar exchanged hot words in the meeting held on Monday night to discuss a government request that they should withdraw their protest call on the eve of Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. The situation emerged when Gandapur stressed for postponing the protest while Azhar called for holding a protest demonstration at the D-Chowk of the capital during the events of SCO Summit.The official party sources privy to the development said that Gandapur accused Azhar of inciting workers to come out on roads while he himself was hiding somewhere to avoid his arrest. He added that the Punjab leadership couldn’t register its presence when he led a protest march from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) twice on to Rawalpindi and Islamabad respectively. The chief minister KP emphasized that they have to provide protection to workers of the party belonging to his province. Earlier, workers and even members of KP Assembly faced arrests while they marched on to Islamabad for the protest earlier this month, he added.
In his response, Azhar forbade Gandapur from levelling accusations and pressed for holding the protest. I would lead the protest from Punjab, he added.
On this, the CM said they could not leave workers alone and questioned him how he would lead while in hiding.
The PTI’s Punjab president advised his party colleague to be polite in his conversation, adding that he had also left workers stranded in the D-Chowk.
Following this war of words, the senior party leadership had to intervene to stop both the leaders from accusing each other.
On October 14, the Political Committee had decided to withdraw the protest call on the assurance of the government that doctors would be allowed to examine former prime minister Imran Khan in jail to get an update about his health.