Imran directs PTI to distance from those maligning Army: Marwat

ISLAMABAD: The incarcerated chairman of the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf, Imran Khan, has directed his party leadership to condemn and distance the PTI from all individuals, whether insiders or outsiders, who are making efforts to drive a wedge between the party and the Pakistan Army.

The newly-appointed Senior Vice-President of the PTI, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, told The News on Monday that he was directed by Khan to disassociate all those from the party or its social media who are targeting the institution of the Pakistan Army, maligning it, or creating hatred against it.

Marwat said that Imran Khan has instructed him to dispel the impression that the PTI is against the army, which he (Imran) always believed is vital for the security and defence of the country.

The PTI vice-president said that Khan also pays rich tributes to the martyrs of the defence forces for their sacrifices for the people and the country. Imran Khan, he said, shares the pain of the families of martyred young officers and soldiers and assures them (families of martyrs) that the PTI will always stand beside them.

“The martyrs are the pride of the nation,” Marwat quoted Khan as saying. Marwat, who is a senior lawyer, mentioned that during the recent days, he has been addressing significant public gatherings of the PTI workers in KP. In these public meetings, he said the slogan of “Pak Army Zindabad” was chanted. He said that in these public meetings, tributes were also paid to the martyrs of the defence forces.

The PTI vice-president said that those vloggers and so-called sympathisers of the PTI, who were spewing poison against the army, had nothing to do with the PTI. “We condemn such characters and distance ourselves from them,” Marwat said, adding that even if there are elements within the PTI social media, who are maligning the institution of the Pakistan Army, they will be disassociated from the party.

He said Imran Khan also expects his followers and social media activities not to endorse any anti-army narrative propagated by what Marwat called “any so-called sympathiser” of the PTI or Imran Khan. He said that the party will no longer tolerate anyone maligning the Army.

Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, who also represents Imran Khan in several court cases the PTI chairman is facing, has recently been appointed Senior Vice-President of the party. Unlike other PTI political leaders, who are not allowed to meet Imran Khan, Marwat regularly meets Imran Khan for being a key member of his legal team.

Of late, Marwat has also gained focus on organising and addressing significant public gatherings of the PTI workers in the KP. Generally, PTI leaders complain of not being allowed to hold rallies, public meetings, and even corner meetings. Marwat, however, has successfully done so in recent days.