Discord grips PTI after Islamabad protest rout

PESHAWAR: Intense divisions have emerged within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party following the violent clashes between protesters and law enforcement agencies in Islamabad.

The party’s leadership, particularly Bushra Bibi and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, are facing strong criticism for their decision to push forward with the protest at D-Chowk, despite Imran Khan’s agreement to hold a rally at Sangjani. This decision ultimately exposed the PTI workers to state action, leading to widespread condemnation.

Party insiders reveal that senior leaders are now engaged in a blame game, pointing fingers at each other for the protest’s poor planning and ineffective strategies. Some leaders specifically criticised Bushra Bibi, the wife of PTI founder chairman Imran Khan, for insisting on reaching the D-Chowk despite alternate proposals. The protest, aimed at securing Imran Khan’s release and pressurising the government, failed to achieve its objectives, sparking disagreements among various factions within the party.

KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur dismissed the allegation of an internal rift in the party and told this scribe that the protest was successful and described it as the largest march in Pakistan despite numerous hurdles and the use of force against the party. He said that despite these challenges, the PTI workers managed to reach the D-Chowk; however, the government’s use of live ammunition and resulting fatalities were unacceptable. Ali Amin said that as a political party, the PTI did not endorse bloodshed. He added that action would be taken against the federal and Punjab governments for their unlawful and brutal conduct. He reaffirmed that the party’s struggle for its rights and demands would continue, as it aligns with the PTI’s core ideology.

Party sources revealed that some senior leaders accused the central leadership of lacking strategic foresight. Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif, a spokesperson for the chief minister and adviser on information, disclosed that Imran Khan was initially agreeable to holding a rally at Sangjani but Bushra Bibi opposed the idea, leading to the party’s eventual loss.

Senior PTI leader Shaukat Yousafzai also expressed his frustration, stating, “Ali Amin Gandapur has been made a scapegoat. Imran Khan had agreed to Sangjani, but Bushra Bibi’s insistence on D-Chowk cost the party heavily.”

Yousafzai questioned, “Will the party be led by Bushra Bibi or the leadership? If the leadership lacks authority, they should resign. The D-Chowk incident was deeply regrettable. Where was PTI’s Punjab leadership during all this period?”

He further criticised the lack of planning, saying, “Even if we had sat at D-Chowk, there was no concrete plan in place. Why wasn’t a consultative committee formed before leaving for Peshawar? Unfortunately, those leading the party did not lead the procession.”

He said that another major criticism was directed at the protest’s logistical shortcomings. Low turnout and insufficient facilities for participants, especially those who travelled from far-flung areas, contributed to the protest’s failure. Several workers expressed disappointment over the poor arrangements.

Gandapur was praised for bearing the pressure from the party and its workers, but Yousafzai pointed out, “The party needs to reflect on why the real faces were sidelined. Negotiations with the government were possible — who rejected them? The government should not have resorted to such brutality, but internal mismanagement is also to blame.

“There must be an inquiry into this matter as to why they took the party workers to D-Chowk and then left them alone at the mercy of law enforcement agencies and secretly disappeared from the scene.”

A senior PTI leader told The News: “The central leaders present there were aware of the crackdown on the party workers the same night but the poor party workers were not informed about the operation against them.”

Pleading anonymity, he said many senior party leaders had returned home from the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway near Burhan when containers were removed and the road was cleared for traffic as they were suspicious about the role of some people there. “At the motorway, some of us felt that the workers were going to be misused for the personal interests of some individuals and that is exactly what happened,” he said. “Where were Barrister Gohar and Salman Akram Raja and other senior leaders of PTI? Leaders like them call themselves the face of PTI, yet they were absent. The only ones standing with the workers were Ali Amin Gandapur, Asad Qaiser, Omar Ayub, Ali Asghar and some others,” Shaukat Yousafzai said in a video message separately.

He revealed that Barrister Mohammad Ali Saif had informed the party members of Imran Khan’s instructions to move the protest to an alternative location, as proposed by the government but this plan was reportedly blocked. “Why were these instructions not followed? Barrister Saif claims Bushra Bibi opposed the move. While we respect her as Khan’s wife, she holds no leadership position in PTI. The party leadership must clarify who allowed this interference,” he asserted. “Why didn’t the leadership engage in meaningful talks with the government? Who blocked the discussions?” he questioned, calling for transparency from the party’s decision-makers.

Rejecting government allegations that the PTI protesters were armed, Shaukat Yousafzai said, “If we had weapons, why didn’t we retaliate during the state’s violence? These are baseless allegations aimed at justifying the crackdown.”

He expressed grief over the loss of lives, regardless of affiliation. “It’s tragic to see people dying, whether they were from the government or our side. Such violence is unacceptable and a stain on our nation.”

In a direct challenge to the PTI leadership, Shaukat Yousafzai demanded accountability. “If our leaders cannot face the situation or stand with the workers, they should step down. This is an injustice to PTI and Imran Khan. Leadership is about action, not titles. Our failures in Islamabad are the result of poor planning and lack of unity,” he said.

Yousafzai reiterated that the workers’ loyalty was to Imran Khan, not individual leaders. “We protested for Imran Khan and his vision, not for anyone else. The leaders owe an explanation to the workers and must reflect on their mistakes. Without accountability and reform, we risk destroying PTI’s credibility and Imran Khan’s legacy,” he warned.

According to an INP news agency report, Bushra Bibi, Ali Amin Gandapur, and ex-president Dr Arif Alvi among other PTI leaders were booked in seven new cases at three police stations of Attock. Cases were registered under 23 different sections, including terrorism, attempt to murder, vandalism and others.

Meanwhile, a one-day physical remand was approved for 35 PTI activists, arrested during the Islamabad protest. Five suspects from Hassanabdal police station and 30 from another police station were presented before the Rawalpindi sessions judge as the Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) judge was on leave on Wednesday. The suspects faced charges under terrorism-related sections and were scheduled to appear in the ATC on Thursday (today).

Separately, all the regional police officers and unit heads in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been directed to provide details of teargas shells in their areas to find if any of the stock had been misused. The directives were issued following some media reports that the PTI protesters used teargas shells available with the KP police against police in Islamabad. “All regional police officers and unit heads are requested to convey to the Central Police Office, Peshawar, about available stocks of teargas shells and the statement regarding their utilisation during the last week along with details,” stated a letter from the Central Police Office (CPO).

In another development, KP Governor Faisal Karim Kundi criticised the PTI for creating a law & order situation in Islamabad and said restoration of peace in KP was more important than any other issue. “I am going to Kurram tomorrow and I invite the chief minister to jointly find a solution to this serious issue by visiting the people there,” the governor told a press conference on return from Umrah.

The governor told the media that over 150 people had lost lives and hundreds of others displaced in Kurram since October, but neither the chief minister nor any other leader had visited the troubled district. He said the Provincial Disaster Management Authority had nothing to provide when it was approached to help the affected people in Kurram.

The governor also invited the chief minister to the all-parties conference being held in December’s first week at the Governor’s House over the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa law and order situation. Kundi said Gandapur and Bushra Bibi escaped from the protest on Tuesday night, leaving behind the poor workers in the federal capital.