Wajih, Hamid vow to continue struggle to protect PTI

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf senior leaders Justice (Retd) Wajiduddin and Hamid Khan have said they will continue their mission to protect the PTI from elements who have no stakes in the party.
“The party will suffer a massive loss if the chairman continues to run it in this way,” said Wajih while talking to The News. His party membership has been suspended for issuing statements against party line. Wajih said the people who purchased loyalties and rigged the intra-party polls had not been taken to task but people like him and Yusuf Gabool, who wanted democracy in party were being shown the door. “We want a democratic PTI for which our struggle will continue, I am loyal, sincere and committed member of party,” said Wajih.
Hamid told The News that it was unfortunate that some advisers surrounding the party chairman were not guiding him properly. However, he said he had always shown commitment to party and would remain a committed worker. He also said the PTI was his platform and if he had any differences, he would take up this matter at the forum of party.
Division in the party between Imran’s old guards and his new team, who joined him in the post October 2011-scenario when the PTI emerged as a potential political force had intensified in last few days. Not only Wajih had faced suspension of his basic party membership but also other stalwarts were warned by Imran to avoid disclosing party affairs to the media.
Situation got tense in the PTI after the Judicial Commission verdict which had given a clean chit to the government against rigging allegations. PTI leaders, including senior lawyer Hamid Khan believe that the party failed to plead its case before the JC due to which the PTI struggle against Nawaz government suffered a setback.
PTI’s central leader Jehangir Tarin, a cabinet member of Shaukat Aziz in Pervaiz Musharraf era, has been under fire from old guards of Imran for misleading the party. Besides, the party members such as Abdul Aleem Khan, former IT Minister of Ch Pervaiz Elahi and Pervaiz Khattak, are also under criticism from Imran’s old team.
Besides, the new organizing committee set up by party chairman is also another cause of concern for most senior party members, who feel being ignored. Ch Sarwar, former Governor of Punjab who joined the PTI early this year had been appointed organizer in the Punjab by Imran which raised several eyebrows.
Some leaders believe that at a time when party is gearing up for the local body elections, a figure who has no knowledge of party workers in the Punjab may not live up to the billings of the PTI. The old guards of Imran believe that the organization should have included names who could easily plead the case of party in the public.