Pakistan: Leaked Audio Clip Points Widening Gap Within Imran Khan's Party (image @PTIofficial)
Islamabad, Pakistan: Reportedly, a new audio clip, alleged to be from Imran Khan’s party leader, indicates there is a widening rift within the leadership of the party. The voice record alleged to be of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan has surfaced, pointing towards an increasing gap within the leadership of the party after its “do-or-die” protest fiasco in Islamabad, reported Geo News.
As per the report, the audio clip was leaked days after PTI suddenly delayed its march after a government crackdown on protesters trying to reach D-Chowk, drawing widespread condemnation within the party. Questions were raised within the party’s parliamentary leadership about why supporters were told to go to D-Chowk instead of holding a sit-in in Sangjani, as Khan had ordered.
In the audio, which Ali Muhammad Khan confirmed was his during a talk with Geo News, he said that Imran Khan had ordered the leaders to set up a protest camp in Islamabad’s Sangjani area, not at D-Chowk in the Red Zone, as per the report.
In the audio leak, Ali Muhammad Khan said, “The PTI founder had not asked to come to D-Chowk, but to Islamabad. Khan Sahib had said that the final sit-in location would be confirmed after the party members reached Islamabad.” He added that Imran Khan had given instructions in the presence of Barrister Gohar Faisal.
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Questioning the role of Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan, the PTI asked why did she made the call instead of the party chairman Gohar Ali Khan.
He asked, “The PTI founder had said that there was no place for hereditary politics in our party, so why did Aleema Khan call the protest herself?”. He said Khan has said the party leadership would make the call.
In the audio clip, Ali Muhammad Khan said that PTI’s aim was to hold talks through the protests at the orders given by Imran Khan. He further said that Imran Khan was not aware of his wife, Bushra Bibi’s presence in the protest and was informed regarding this by Barrister Gohar Ali Khan.
“The PTI chairman and secretary general should have announced that the sit-in would be held in Sangjani”, he said, adding that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur was also in agreement with this. He said that no one had the right to override the decision of PTI founder, as per the report.
Also Read: “Fight Until The Last…”: Imran Khan Says as Supporters’ Protest Turns Violent
Stressing that PTI should have followed Imran Khan’s instructions, Ali Muhammad Khan said, “We should have followed our leader’s orders and stopped in Sangjani. No one, including Bushra Bibi, has the right to override the founder-chairman’s decision”. He said, “When Barrister Saif had conveyed the message of the founding chairman, we should have acted on it”.
The protesting demanding the release of Imran Khan, the former Prime Minister, turned violent. It resulted in the deaths of four security personnel and two PTI supporters. The protesters were met with intense tear gas upon reaching Islamabad’s D-Chowk following which the clash between protesters and security forces broke out.
