Pakistan PTI Lawmakers Express Rift Over Imran Khan's Release Efforts

A deep internal rift has surfaced within Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, with a group of lawmakers expressing dissatisfaction over what they described as a 'lack of effort' by the party leadership to secure the release of jailed founder and former prime minister Imran Khan. The disgruntled members of the Provincial Assembly (MPAs), many of whom were reportedly denied positions during a recent cabinet expansion, held an emergency meeting in Peshawar before sending a letter to PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan, news agency PTI reported, citing Dawn newspaper. The meeting saw discussions on former prime minister Imran Khan's continued imprisonment, concerns over party workers, governance issues and the effectiveness of the ongoing campaign for his release. In the letter, the lawmakers said the handling of efforts related to Khan's release and health was causing “anxiety among workers, supporters and patriotic citizens”. They argued that the campaign for his release had lost momentum and become ineffective. “Workers feel the release movement has deviated from its core direction and become limited merely to health and treatment matters. The ongoing movement for the leader's release appears largely limited to formal statements, restricted protest activities and symbolic measures. A new strategy should be formulated to make the movement effective, organised and result-oriented,” the letter stated. The lawmakers warned that failure to address these concerns could have serious political consequences for the party. They also raised concerns about governance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, alleging “interference by irrelevant individuals in the provincial government's affairs, deviation from merit, unfair distribution of resources and lack of proper consultation with relevant MPAs in decisions about their constituencies' powers and development resources”. The letter called for greater transparency, merit and consultation in government affairs, while demanding a “positive, comprehensive, effective and result-oriented strategy” for Khan's release. A lawmaker told Dawn that around 20 legislators remained unhappy after being denied cabinet positions. The report also said the group boycotted a parliamentary meeting convened by chief minister Sohail Afridi and instead travelled to Rawalpindi to stage demonstrations outside Adiala Jail. Copies of the letter were also sent to the party's central secretary general and central information secretary.