PTI bigwigs at loggerheads over meeting Imran Khan in Adiala jail

• Gohar unhappy over being referred to as manzoor-e-nazar.
• Salman Raja says Imran didn't call anyone on Tuesday.
• Marwat "doesn't agree" that Asad Qaiser is conspirator.

ISLAMABAD: The senior leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is engaged in a verbal sparring over the matter of meeting the party's founding chairman, Imran Khan.

Sources claimed that the list provided to Rawalpindi's Adiala jail officials did not include the names of PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Barrister Ali Zafar, but they both still met the party founder. Upon which, some senior PTI members have raised objections, The News reported.

Barrister Gohar on Wednesday voiced grave concerns regarding the usage of the term "manzoor-e-nazar" (favourite). Talking to journalists at the Parliament House, he stated that the PTI founder has faith in everyone and that Zafar is an honest person.

"I express serious reservations about the word manzoor-e-nazar, but I want to unite the party even if I have to leave the position," he emphasised.

The leader of the opposition in the Senate, Senator Zafar then expressed regret over PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja's "allegations". Speaking to journalists outside the Islamabad High Court (IHC), the PTI legislator claimed that Raja's remarks about the meeting with the party's founder had sparked a fresh dispute. He said that Imran had ordered him to move the Supreme Court on the matter of permission to hold the meeting.

Everyone has the right to meet Imran Khan, Senator Zafar added. He noted that the former prime minister has stated that he is open to speaking with anyone in the interest of the country.

Speaking to media at the IHC earlier, Raja said that it had been agreed upon by all that he would provide the names of six lawyers. However, on Tuesday, only the manzoor-e-nazar were permitted to meet with the party chairman and the names of the six lawyers he provided were not given permission, the PTI Secretary General said.

He said Imran didn't call anyone on Tuesday and spoke with his family and they were all right. He categorically stated that anyone whose name was not on the list should not meet the party founder in the future.

According to the party sources, there has been a hot exchange of words between the PTI chairman and general secretary on Tuesday at the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House, Islamabad, after the party leadership returned from the Adiala jail. It was learnt that efforts have been made by some party leaders for reconciliation between the two.

Separately, Gohar said on Wednesday that the party founder and ex-premier Imran has backed calls for making Pakistan a ‘hard state’ and emphasised the importance of ensuring equal justice for all citizens.

Speaking to Geo News, he quoted Imran as saying that a ‘hard state’ would guarantee the rule of law and uniform implementation of justice. He added that the founding chairman emphasised that Pakistan should not remain a soft state, where the law is not consistently upheld.

Meanwhile, ousted PTI leader and sitting MNA Sher Afzal Marwat has revealed that there were three pressure groups in the party, in which the PTI’s social media played an important role and presented its narrative.

Talking to Geo News, Marwat explained that one of the three pressure groups with in the PTI was the party’s media, especially Youtubers, who created the narrative for the party to make dollars, while the party and Khan Sahib (Imran) had to pay the price in Pakistan.

He alleged that this media had a big role in creating differences and chaos in the PTI. He continued that the second big group that he believes was the KP leadership that was being victimised here at the behest of the people of Punjab. “The reason for this is that only in Pakhtunkhwa there is a PTI organisation, while in the other three provinces there is no party organisation,” he noted.

On the question of negotiations with the establishment, Marwat said that PTI and the establishment have been engaged three times, but the party could not take advantage of the engagement. He addedthat  the party is again hoping for negotiations with the establishment, but the establishment has not shown seriousness this time.

About the narrative of Asad Qaiser being declared a conspirator in the party, he said that he does not agree that Qaiser is a conspirator. “The party founder is being misguided about Ali Amin Gandapur so that maximum damage can be done to him,” he believed.

On the question of the threat to the chair of the KP chief minister, Marwat said that anything can happen in PTI at any time, decisions are made on the basis of hearsay.