The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has issued a strong political warning after a late-night core committee meeting, demanding access to its founder and announcing possible shutdown protests.
The meeting also came amid fresh internal changes, with senior leaders stepping down from the party’s political committee.
The core committee of PTI held a late-night meeting in Islamabad, after which a formal announcement was issued. The committee expressed serious concerns over the health and access of the party’s founding chairman.
Demand for medical examination
The core committee demanded that clear information be provided regarding the health of PTI Founder Imran Khan. It also called for a medical examination by doctors at Shaukat Khanum Hospital, emphasizing transparency in medical reporting.
The committee strongly condemned what it described as deliberate obstruction of meetings between Khan and his family, political associates, and legal team. Members termed the restrictions unacceptable and politically motivated.
Shutdown and wheel-jam calls warned
The core committee warned that shutdown and wheel-jam protests could be announced in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and other cities if delays in arranging meetings continue. Responsibilities for organizing shutter-down and wheel-jam calls on February 8 were assigned to committee members.
The committee directed PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and party Chairman Barrister Gohar to ensure early fixation of all court cases related to meetings with the founder. It also decided that the opposition leader would raise the issue on every parliamentary forum, including the Senate and the National Assembly.
Omar Ayub resigns from political committee
In a major development, former opposition leader Omar Ayub Khan resigned from PTI’s political committee. In a message to Salman Akram Raja on social media platform X, he apologized for being part of the committee and cited legal cases and other engagements as reasons for his inability to remain active.
Ayub stated that the political committee’s membership should remain limited to party office-bearers. He noted that he currently holds no party position and is not a member of parliament, adding that Mahmood Khan Achakzai, now the opposition leader, should be included in the political committee. He reiterated his lifelong commitment as a worker of PTI.
Shibli Faraz also steps down
Following Omar Ayub’s resignation, Shibli Faraz also resigned from the PTI political committee. The back-to-back resignations marked another setback for the party’s political structure.
Zulfi Bukhari, Intezar Panjotha inducted
The PTI also announced new inclusions in the political committee, inducting Zulfi Bukhari and Intezar Panjotha. A notification issued by Salman Akram Raja stated that Panjotha was included in recognition of his services to the party.
The notification also noted that Zulfi Bukhari serves as the PTI founder’s advisor on international relations and international media. Party leadership expressed hope that the new members would strengthen the committee’s political and diplomatic outreach.
