PTI embroiled in controversy over who gets to meet Imran

• Ex-PM reportedly refuses to meet Salman Akram Raja; Hammad Azhar quits party office
• Jailed leader asks KP CM Gandapur to ‘re-engage’ with establishment
• Party fails to make good on promise to hold protest outside Adiala over Eid

ISLAMABAD: Amid a deepening rift within the PTI’s upper echelons, KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur held a meeting with jailed party founder Imran Khan, along with an aide, on Wednesday.

In a separate development that hints at the PTI’s internal differences, the president of its Punjab chapter Hammad Azhar also resigned from his party position the same day.

During the Adiala meeting, Imran Khan reportedly asked CM Gandapur to re-engage with the establishment within the parameters of the Constitution and law, Adviser to CM Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, who accompanied Mr Gandapur, claimed while talking to Dawn after the huddle.

The meeting continued for two-and-a-half hours in the conference room of Adiala Jail. However, as per orders of the Islamabad High Court, they left without holding a media talk outside the jail.

Party sources said the meeting was a continuation of Tuesday’s huddle between ex-minister Azam Swati and Mr Khan.

On Tuesday, PTI leaders Advocate Salman Akram Raja and others reached Adiala Jail and Mr Raja provided to the authorities a list of persons who had to meet Imran Khan. However, Mr Raja was stopped from going inside while Mr Swati was allowed to meet Imran Khan. Jail sources claimed that Imran Khan was not willing to meet Mr Raja.

Later, Mr Swati also claimed that the party founder was not willing to meet Mr Raja. Mr Swati said he assured Mr Khan that Mr Raja was sincere with the party and was standing on principles.

He also informed that based on his discussion with Mr Khan, some changes will be made in the KP government.

Party sources said that during the meeting between CM Gandapur and Imran Khan, various issues related to KP including political and security came under discussion.

Call for re-engagement

Talking to Dawn, Barrister Saif claimed that Imran Khan had asked CM Gandapur to re-engage with the establishment within the parameters of the Constitution and law.

“Khan sahib believes that the country and people of Pakistan are suffering because of the problems between his party and the establishment and that his party being the only federal party with roots in all the provinces can bridge the gap and address political, economic and security issues confronting the country,” said the adviser to CM.

He said the CM discussed a broad range of issues with the ex-premier including the situation in KP, terrorism and the party’s internal matters. “As such there was nothing new,” Mr Saif said.

However, he added, the party chairman allowed them to re-engage with the establishment “for the good of the country”. He acknowledged that there was a mutual lack of trust between the two sides, and underlined the need for bringing down the temperature “to a reasonable level” for meaningful negotiations.

Mr Saif distanced the party from certain YouTubers abroad, who, he added, were responsible for creating a gulf between the party and the establishment. “We have no control over them,” he argued. “We have disowned them.”

Asked if the party chief had set any conditions for re-engagement with the establishment, Mr Saif clarified that any dialogue would have to be done within the parameters of the Constitution and democratic values.

He said Mr Khan also emphasised the need for engaging with Afghanistan to end terrorism and that the chief minister apprised him of the efforts they were making to reach out to the Afghan Taliban in this regard.

He said the KP government had approached the federal government for permission to engage with the Afghan Taliban. “But the federal government is sitting on the request.”

Mr Saif said that the chief minister also discussed party matters with the chairman, particularly the rift between Azam Swati and Speaker KP Assembly Babar Salim Swati. He said the chairman asked the chief minister to play a lead role and resolve the differences between the two party figures.

Hammad’s resignation

Hammad Azhar, who had been away from public eye since May 9, 2023, resigned as president of PTI’s Punjab chapter, apparently following complaints by a senior party leader in a meeting with Imran Khan.

Mr Azhar announced his resignation in a message on X. He alleged that Azam Swati had complained to Mr Khan that he was causing obstructions in the working of party’s Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza.

“I spoke to Aliya Hamza and asked whether he was obstructing in her party working and she expressed with astonishment that she never felt obstructed,” he claimed.

Mr Azhar stated that he would continue working as a party worker.

No camp outside jail

Strict security arrangements were made outside the Adiala Jail and heavy contingent of the security personnel was deployed in wake of PTI’s plans to hold a protest there.

However, despite claims by the party leaders, PTI could not hold the protest camp outside the jail during Eid days. It may be recalled that party’s KP head Junaid Akbar during the holy month of Ramazan had hinted that PTI workers will set up a protest camp outside the jail to express solidarity with the incarcerated founding chairman. However, the central leadership disassociated itself with the statement.

On the second and third days of Eid, PTI leaders including Salman Akram Raja, Azam Swati, CM Gandapur, Barrister Saif and others reached the jail but the aim was to meet Imran Khan rather than holding a protest.

Mansoor Malik in Lahore and our Peshawar bureau also contributed to this report

Published in Dawn, April 3rd, 2025