PTI’s leadership crisis

PTI founding chairman Imran Khan’s wife, Bushra Bibi, has been making efforts to mobilise the rank and file of the party to ensure maximum participation of workers in the upcoming protest slated for November 24. According to reports, Chief Minister House Khyber Pakhtunkhwa has become the centre of the PTI’s political activities where the former prime minister’s wife has held a number of meetings with the PTI leadership. She has also reportedly warned PTI leaders that if they don’t join the protest or bring out people before the November 24 protest, they will not have anything to do with the party anymore. There’s a raging debate going on these days whether the PTI – a harsh critic of dynastic politics – is now going down the dynastic and nepotistic route itself? PTI leaders say that Bushra Bibi is only passing Khan’s messages and not participating in politics. While the party may keep denying that she has no political role, observers say that when Khan’s wife is holding party meetings and giving stern warnings and directions to party members, it is not just about passing her husband’s messages but being involved in active politics – even if she hasn’t done this publicly. When Khan’s sisters address press conferences and deliver Khan’s messages while not holding any party position, this is also part of politics. This is what the PTI criticised Maryam Nawaz for when she did not have any party position. Observers say that when all else fails and there is a trust deficit regarding leaders, family comes to save the day – and this is why the PML-N became a dynastic party despite being the challenger to the PPP’s alleged dynastic politics. In the Pakistani context, family members come to your aid both politically and personally.

Some observers are of the view that Bushra Bibi has become so active because her husband is incarcerated and she does not think that the party leadership is doing anything much to secure his release. They say that she has basically shown mistrust in party leadership and are of the view that she is active like the late Kulsoom Nawaz was following the late General Pervez Musharraf’s coup. Others say that Bushra Bibi always had an active role in Khan’s political decisions, even when he was the PM and after the vote of no-confidence also. Observers also say that there is a trust deficit between the current PTI leadership and PTI workers and supporters, who have more trust in Khan’s family members like his sisters and wife than the PTI leaders who go and meet Khan in jail. Some party workers believe that they do not give Khan’s exact message. There is a view that there is a leadership crisis in the PTI. The top leadership who are old and trusted are either in hiding or behind bars; those in the forefront are new to the party and mostly joined in the last two years while those in the KP government are sometimes blamed for playing both sides. Thus, there is a genuine leadership crisis that the party faces due to Khan’s imprisonment. PTI without Khan has been clueless and directionless for the most part. Despite doing better in the February 8 elections than many thought, there has been no strategy that its leadership has shown. There has also been confusion. When calls for protests are given, the leadership is not seen taking the lead. This may be why this time around, Bushra Bibi has given a final warning for the PTI’s ‘final call’. However, many observers are of the view that this threatening tone will not work and Khan’s wife – whether active in politics or not – should deal with the leaders in a political way. It will be interesting to see how the PTI fares on November 24. By most accounts, many PTI leaders are unhappy with the call and anticipate a government crackdown.