Imran deletes tweet accusing ‘agency man’ of ‘provoking’ his workers

KARACHI: PTI Chairman Imran Khan deleted a tweet in which he had shared a video showing what he said was an ‘agency man’ provoking his workers.

On Monday afternoon, the former prime minister tweeted out a video which he had described as: “This agency man is trying to provoke our workers to get violent and [he] is being exposed. I want to tell [PTI] that no matter the provocation, we must protest peacefully and within the bounds of the constitution. Otherwise, we will give these fascists reason for more violence”.

However, a few hours later, it was discovered by social media users that the tweet had been deleted. Journalist Asma Shirazi tweeted asking: “Why [was] this tweet deleted by chairman #PTI?”

The video, which is still accessible on other accounts, shows a man in a white shirt being filmed by someone who says he is ‘inciting workers to violence’. The man in question seems to be egging alleged PTI workers to engage in violence against law enforcement. On being confronted by the workers, the man -- in the full video that has since made the rounds on social media -- can be seen clearly telling the crowd that he is ‘Khan’s worker’.

Right after Imran Khan had tweeted the video, Maryam Nawaz Sharif responded by tweeting that “Now [that] this terrorist has come to know that the law will come into action on his terrorism, he has remembered incitement to violence. After attacking the state, injuring policemen, burning police vehicles, setting off petrol bombs and trained terrorists being recovered from [Zaman Park], he has remembered lectures on peace”.

According to social media posts, the man in question is a PTI worker -- some have said he has even been a PTI counsellor from Abbottabad.

Taking a cue from this revelation, the PML-N’s official Twitter account tweeted a screenshot of Imran’s deleted tweet as well as a photo of the man in the photo, which he’s seen at a PTI jalsa. The tweet says: “According to Imran Khan, his own people were inciting his workers to violence. After realizing the mistake, the tweet was deleted, but the confession has been made”. Neither the PTI’s nor Imran Khan’s official Twitter account has clarified his now-deleted tweet.