‘Rifts emerge among PTI top leaders after Khan’s arrest’

ISLAMABAD: Days after the arrest of Pakistan Tehree-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, rifts emerged among the party’s top leaders “eyeing to replace the party chief”, however, leaders have asserted that “no one can replace Imran Khan”.

Sources told Geo News that the party’s core committee members during a recent meeting traded barbs and called each other "traitors".

Reacting to the reports, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan termed the news fabricated.

According to the sources, the core committee — PTI's apex body headed by Vice Chairman Qureshi, running the affairs after Khan's arrest — has broken into two groups.

“The rival groups exchanged harsh words during a meeting and declared each other traitors,” the sources within PTI told Geo News.

The PTI leaders, they said, blamed each other for leaking details and recordings of core committee meetings.

“Some members of the body are of the opinion that serious matters cannot be discussed in the core committee meeting anymore.”

A PTI leader confided to Geo News that he would reveal the name of the traitor if PTI Secretary General Ayub and Senator Shibli Faraz allow him to identify the person.

“A traitor is sitting right here, one of the leaders claimed during a meeting.”

The party sources claimed that the secretary-general was in constant contact with the member who declared him a traitor in the core committee, party sources said.

It has also been claimed that Ayub and Qureshi are also vying to succeed the PTI chairman as the party chief.

‘Traitors in PTI’

Earlier, PTI lawyer Sher Afzal Khan Marwat claimed that there are traitors in the core committee and Imran Khan's legal team and they have put his life in danger. “The presence of the traitors in the PTI core committee is beyond any doubt. They have passed on recordings of the core committee meetings to the opponents and even to media persons,” Marwat said in a statement.

“Shockingly, the Legal team's Zoom meetings details/recordings have been shared with outsiders, which has put my life and liberty in serious jeopardy. I have gone underground for the first time, and I may be caught by the designated team anytime.”

He further claimed that he has informed the party and recorded voice messages about those chasing him.

“Yesterday, I went into hiding, and I am unsure if I am safe, but I have identified my chasers and sent their names to a group of lawyers for legal action in case I go missing. It is increasingly becoming difficult to trust people within the very close circles of the party. If I am allowed by the relevant persons in the party and if I survive the hunt, I will share the names of the traitors very soon.”

‘No one can replace Imran Khan’

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, PTI Vice Chairman Qureshi termed the reports false saying they are aimed at spreading confusion among the party’s ranks and files

“There is no truth to such reports..no one is replacing Imran Khan,” he added.

Qureshi said the PTI’s Core Committee is working in a difficult situation and there is no replacement for Imran Khan in the party.

He said the core committee is the custodian of the party chairmanship until Khan's release from prison.

As long as chairman is in prison, core committee will never violate what it has been entrusted with, Qureshi added.

‘Fabricated’

Meanwhile, Ayub has termed the report “totally fabricated” and reiterated that “Imran Khan is our Chairman and will remain Chairman PTI InshaAllah”.

He also denied the existence of any groups in PTI or the core committee.

“Decision-making is being done with consensus and very smoothly as per the framework made by Imran Khan himself,” Ayub said in a statement on social media and added that he held Qureshi in the highest of regards and esteem.

There has never been any argument in any core committee meeting of PTI between anyone, he insisted.

“Sorry to disappoint our opponents, but PTI Alhumdolillah, is a united juggernaut that will decimate our opponents during the upcoming General Elections with Allah's Will and the Public's support InshaAllah!! Prepare to face us in the electoral field.”