Blow to opposition alliance : Hamid Raza resigns as information secretary

ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance on Tuesday received a blow, as Sahibzada Hamid Raza, who also heads the Sunni Ittehad Council, resigned from the post of its information secretary.

Sources in the Tehreeke Tahafuz Aiyeen-e-Pakistan told The News that Hamid Raza was extremely upset over his alleged trolling by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s social media ‘warriors’ for his refusal to join the September 20’s “mission nor”. PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified during his media talk a day earlier that there had been no official announcement from the party’s platform regarding any “mission nor” and wondered someone unknown had spread this ‘gimmick’. However, some opposition leaders and central leaders were seen on the social media marking the “mission nor” by reciting ‘Azaan’, including Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri.

It was learnt that Hamid Raza and his party had strong reservations about this mode of protest and declined to be part of fit, prompting a sharp and unending reaction in the shape of his bashing by PTI social media. “We are in touch with the SIC leadership and hopefully very soon sort out and allay concerns of Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Since the party did not give any such call, then how can he be trolled for not subscribing to it,” a senior PTI leader said when contacted.

However, TTAP spokesman Akhunzada Hussain posted a statement on the opposition alliance’s X account, which says that Raza, an ally of the opposition alliance, had submitted his resignation to the TTAP leadership a few days ago, which was rejected by the leadership. He noted that Hamid Raza’s position was that due to court cases and unjust imprisonment, he was unable to independently fulfill his responsibility as information secretary of the alliance. In this regard, he explained Raza again submitted his resignation to the leadership. “The opposition leadership believes that this decision will be taken in the summit meeting and that the TTAP wants to make it clear that the Sunni Ittehad Council was, is and will remain an ally of the Tehreek,” he said.

In a statement, which was also posted on the TTAP X account, Raza said he has resigned as information secretary of Tehreek in light of party (SIC) guidelines after its emergency meeting. He pointed out that Akhunzada has been informed about this. “He stood with Imran Khan and will continue to stand with him,” the statement quoted Raza as saying.