Gandapur, Hammad spar over D-Chowk protest

ISLAMABAD: The political committee of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) witnessed a heated exchange between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and senior party leader Hammad Azhar from Punjab during a meeting sharply divided on the October 15 protest at D-Chowk.

According to sources, Gandapur advocated postponing the protest, while Hammad Azhar insisted on holding it during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) conference, citing the alleged mistreatment of the party, its leadership, and workers.

In response, Gandapur taunted Hammad, the son of former governor Mian Muhammad Azhar, saying, “You are hiding yourself and telling the workers to come out, while I have come to Islamabad twice.” Gandapur further complained about the absence of Punjab’s leadership and pointed out that his province’s assembly members had been arrested, and that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s workers also needed to be rescued. He said that the province’s machinery and resources were with the federal government, along with employees stationed in Islamabad.

Hammad Azhar responded by urging Gandapur to avoid blame and taunts, saying that he would personally lead from Punjab. He advised Gandapur to maintain a political, moral, and civilised tone, stating that differences of opinion should not be expressed using derogatory language. Hammad also retorted that Gandapur had recently abandoned the workers at D-Chowk and fled the scene.

Before the situation escalated further, senior party leaders present at the meeting tactfully defused the tension and calmed both sides.

Regarding the heated exchange between Gandapur and Hammad, party chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan chose not to comment.

Since the announcement of the October 15 protest coinciding with the opening of the two-day SCO summit in Islamabad, reports of divisions within the party over the protest have been circulating.