Allegations fly at PTI core committee meeting

ISLAMABAD: Allegations and counter-allegations marred the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Core Committee meeting here on Monday. According to Geo News, there was a heated argument between Sher Afzal Marwat and Niazullah Niazi on the question of the ‘batsman’ (PTI-Nazriyati).

The PTI spokesperson was approached for his comments but he didn’t respond.

Marwat asked who brought the (idea of) ‘batsman’. The damage was caused by the ‘batsman’.

After having been denied allotment of ‘bat’ as its election symbol, the PTI first decided to field its candidates from the platform of a break-away faction i.e. PTI-Nazriyati, which has ‘batsman’ as its election symbol. But it did not materialise and then the party fielded its candidates as independents.

Its bid to join the Sunni Ittehad Council for allotment of reserved seats for women and non-Muslims also did not work.

On the question of Sher Afzal’s ‘batsman’, Niazullah Niazi defended the decision and said that there are sacrifices in the party of the one who heads the ‘batsman’.

However, Ali Muhammad Khan settled the matter when exchange of words between Sher Afzal Marwat and Niazullah Niazi escalated.

There were some party leaders, who supported Marwat for raising the question of several wrong decisions, including the ‘batsman’. However, senior party leader from Sindh, Firdous Shamim Naqvi was not among his supporters. He suggested that there should be someone with Sher Afzal Marwat, who teaches and explains to him that he is attacking his own people, by issuing statements.

In response to him, Marwat reportedly said that a campaign is being run against him: no one comes out; everyone is hiding, and that this has led the PTI to difficult days. “PTI’s own members talk against me,” he complained reportedly.

It was discussed in the core committee meeting by some members that Marwat is talking beyond his mandate, as PTI’s narrative was made in two months and he finished it in no time. The meeting ended with echo of bitter words.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and leader Ali Muhammad Khan were among those, who attended the meeting, while Shahbaz Gill and Mian Aslam Iqbal attended the event via video link.