PTI is grappling with internal divisions over the timeline and strategy for a nationwide protest aimed at securing the release of its jailed founder, former prime minister Imran Khan.
The discord, primarily between the party’s central leadership and its Punjab chapter, has escalated as the proposed date of August 5 for peak protest approaches, marking two years since Khan’s imprisonment.
The central leadership – including Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and khyber pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Ganda pur – has advocated for a 90- day campaign culminating in a decisive protest.
Ganda pur, speaking at a press conference in Lahore , described the movement as a “do-or-die” effort to challenge what PTI calls a “fascist regime”, and to secure Khan’s release.
He stressed that the campaign would involve mobilizing supporters in every district and tehsil, peaking by August 5, after which a new phase would be announced.
PTI Punjab Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza Malik has firmly backed an immediate protest on August 5, aligning with a call attributed to Imran Khan via his sister, Aleema Khan.
Malik has reportedly threatened to resign if the party deviates from this date.
Malik has already directed the party’s Punjab organisation to prepare for the August 5 protest, mobilizing workers in districts such as Okara, Toba Tek Singh, Pakpattan, Faisalabad, and Chiniot.
Aleema Khan, speaking to the media, welcomed the Lahore gathering as a sign of unity among PTI parliamentarians but expressed ignorance about Malik’s exclusion, stating, “We were told this was a meeting of parliamentarians.”
She reaffirmed Imran Khan’s call for the protests to peaking on August 5, noting that his entire family, including his UK-based sons, would participate.
Barrister Gohar has attempted to quell the discord, urging leaders to address concerns through internal party channels rather than at the public forums.
“If any leader has a complaint, they should inform me directly,” he said.
Yet, this public spat has raised concerns about cohesion among the PTI ranks at a critical juncture, with some analysts suggesting it reflects deeper issues of centralization and trust within the party.
