Referring to recent infighting among senior figures of the former ruling party, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif on Sunday claimed that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) fragmented into various factions.
Addressing an event in Sialkot, the defence minister took a jibe at the Imran Khan-founded, saying: “The party is as divided as the number of its members is.”
“We don’t need to abuse them, they themselves are abusing each other,” he added.
It is pertinent to mention here that a tug-of-war is currently underway between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Babar Saleem Swati and former Senator Azam Swati.
Also, former minister Taimur Saleem Jhagra is engaged in a war of words with the party’s internal accountability committee. Local media has also been reporting rifts between KP CM Ali Amin Gandapur and PTI provincial chapter President Junaid Akbar.
Last week Akbar confirmed that he had differences with CM Gandapur when he was taking over the office of the party’s KP president, adding that they buried the hatchet in line with Khan’s directions.
Moreover, following a fresh statement from Gandapur, rifts within the PTI have intensified, prompting the party leadership to instruct its senior members to refrain from issuing public statements.
PTI Members of the National Assembly (MNAs) Asad Qaisar, Shahram Khan Tarakai, and Atif Khan have demanded an inquiry into Gandapur’s statement. Atif said the chief minister’s remarks could damage the PTI founder’s movement, and the ongoing efforts for his release should not be undermined.
Addressing the event today, Asif said: “PTI members have started calling each other thieves.” He dubbed the PTI founder an “international thief”.
Highlighting the PML-N-led government’s achievements, the minister said that Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif steered the country out of the difficult situation.
“No one could even think that prices of electricity would be decreased in the country,” he added.
Last week, PM Shehbaz announced a significant reduction in the electricity prices of up to Rs7.41 per unit for residential consumers, pledging to provide further relief in near future through structural reforms in the power sector.
The defence minister said that inflation also decreased due to the government’s effective policies in recent months. The security czar also lauded the unmatched sacrifices rendered by the armed forces.
