Dr Arif Alvi’s mission in US, activities of PTI diaspora

ISLAMABAD: Former President Dr Arif Alvi is among those PTI leaders and the party diaspora, who are presently abroad and are lobbying for the free-Imran Khan campaign, particularly in the US, and in the process got involved in what is alleged by the government and establishment ‘as the anti-state and anti-army campaign’.

Although the PTI insists that its campaign abroad is for the rule of law and against the persecution of the party and its top leadership, the authorities alleged that in several cases the PTI diaspora and its leadership abroad crossed the red line, targeted the army and its top command and even hurt the national interests.

Most of the PTI campaigns and lobbying were done in Washington, which however has not yet delivered what the PTI desperately sought previously from the Biden administration and now expects from President Trump.

Regarding Arif Alvi, it is said that during his recent visit to the US, he met quite a few lawmakers including Haley Stevens, Jack Bergman and Mrs Shelly Berkley (Mayor of Las Vegas) to plead the case of Imran Khan and push the party’s narrative. Alvi, it is said also appeared on Fox News and alleged that USAID was misused in Pakistan to rig elections. He said he was in the US on a mission to get Imran Khan released from jail. He talked about human rights violations and claimed that “dozens of people” were killed on November 26th.

Dr Alvi’s interactions and his meetings in the US were organized by the party’s US chapter, Shahbaz Gill, Qasim Suri and others, some of whom have been involved in what the government and establishment alleged as anti-army and anti-state campaigns. According to authorities’ probe into PTI’s social media role, Shahbaz Gill and Qasim Suri are among those PTI leaders, presently abroad, who are involved in malicious campaigns against state institutions including the Pakistan Army. They are also alleged to have spread misinformation against the state institutions. With the support of US-based PTI supporters, these leaders had also lobbied for a resolution in the US Congress on human rights violations in Pakistan.

Repeatedly the Army Chief General Asim Munir was maligned, and lobbying for a draft legislation to ban senior Pakistani military leaders from entering the US was also done. One of the PTI’s leaders was also said to be in close contact with Zalmay Khalilzad, who was targeting the Pakistan Army and its top command.

Sajjad Burki, secretary for PTI organization of international chapters, and Zulfi Bukhari, who is residing in London and is responsible for the management of international media for PTI, are also on the radar of the authorities. Activities of Atif Khan, former focal person of the ministry of overseas Pakistanis presently in the US, and Malik Imran Khalil, President of PTI UK, have also attained the attention of authorities. Sajjad Burki and Atik Khan belong to the PTI USA Chapter whereas the PTI UK Chapter is under the patronage of Malik Imran Khalil, Nazar Abbas, Maaz Malik and Nasir Mir.

The PTI USA and UK chapters have conducted more than 20 protests since April 2022, when the Imran Khan government was removed through a vote of no confidence. The main issues highlighted during these protests are election rigging, alleged army’s intervention in the change of government, repression against PTI, fake criminal cases against PTI leadership, human rights violations in Pakistan, misuse of government resources, misappropriation of USAID, IMF loan to Pakistan and maligning senior military leadership.