PTI leader demands internal inquiry after protest ends abruptly

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Shaukat Yousafzai voiced his disappointment over the sudden conclusion of the Islamabad protest, saying that the party leadership had let him down.

Yousafzai, during a conversation on Geo News' programme 'Geo Pakistan', said that the party leadership "disappointed him" and had failed to provide clear guidance during the protest, which lasted for three days after beginning on November 24.

He pointed out that, aside from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, no other leader had come forward to take charge of the protest.

The lack of consultation and planning within the leadership was evident, according to Yousafzai, especially with the decision to focus on D-Chowk.

He further questioned why, despite the government's offer for negotiations, no efforts were made to engage in talks. Yousafzai also pointed out that it was widely anticipated that the government would respond with strict measures at D-Chowk.

The party leader called for an internal investigation as to why only D-Chowk was selected as the place for protest.

Additionally, he raised concerns about the absence of key figures like Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Salman Akram Raja, and Sher Afzal Marwat during the protests.

Reflecting on the mismanagement, Yousafzai questioned why so many party workers were mobilised when the leadership itself lacked decision-making authority.

Moreover, he revealed that Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder Imran Khan, and KP CM Gandapur were currently in Mansehra and assured that both were safe.

According to federal ministers, Bushra Bibi and KP CM Gandapur fled in the same vehicle. Hundreds of protesters were arrested, and on Jinnah Avenue and Seventh Avenue, protesters abandoned dozens of vehicles and escaped.

In a late-night press conference, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that the KP CM's name should be "Ali Amin Bhagoora (deserter) instead of Ali Amin Gandapur".