Internal rifts compound PTI’s worries before elections

ISLAMABAD: PTI, which is already grappling with a myriad of challenges, is now faced with intense friction among its ranks, with key figures indulging in recriminations against each other.

While the disagreement, for the most part, remained behind closed doors, recently, a tug of war has effectively started between Advocate Sher Afzal Marwat and the party’s Information Secretary Raoof Hasan, who have both levelled allegations against each other.

One of the counsels for former premier Imran Khan, Mr Marwat, was elevated to the position of senior vice president of the party in November. He has been at the forefront at a time when the majority of PTI’s core leadership is in hiding or has parted ways.

However, Mr Hasan, the PTI spokesperson, said in an interview on Monday that the party “does not own statements” issued by Mr Marwat. “He does not reflect the party position and has no post within the PTI,” he stated.

Sher Afzal blames Raoof for failed alliance with Maulana Sherani’s party

Irked by the statement, Mr Marwat called off the party’s polls campaign in Sindh, which he was leading.

However, he took a U-turn on the decision, apprealty due to the insistence of workers.

Talking to Dawn, Mr Marwat, who has been catapulted into the spotlight over the past few months due to his fiery addresses at the party’s public events, blamed Mr Hasan for the PTI’s electoral isolation.

“Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser made efforts to have an alliance with Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam Pakistan (Sherani), but Mr Hasan became a hurdle due to which PTI is now fielding independent candidates,” Mr Marwat said.

He added that without Mr Hasan’s involvement, the party would have been contesting general elections on the tickets of JUI-P (Sherani) and would have been able to get reserved seats after the elections.

He also alleged that Mr Hasan was doing all this “on the behest of his brother Fawad Hasan Fawad”.

Mr Fawad, who is considered close to PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, is currently part of the caretaker setup as privatisation minister.

“Raoof Hasan has been continuously speaking against me on electronic media. First time, after his remarks against me, I spoke to Imran Khan. Second time I approached PTI Secretary General Umar Ayub and the third time I took up the matter during the core-committee meeting,” said Mr Marwat.

“However, after realising that no one in the party was taking action against Mr Hasan, I decided to give my response through social media.”

When contacted by Dawn, Mr Hasan refused to reply to his colleague’s claims, saying he would like to “solve the matter within the party and not bring it into the media”.

However, Mr Marwat claimed jealousy was the reason behind Mr Hasan’s animosity as he was getting popular due to his efforts to organise the party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Balochistan and Sindh. “Raoof Hasan is jealous of me and has been continuously speaking against me.”

Mr Marwat continued that since the incarceration of ex-PM Imran Khan, he has been mobilising the party workers.

“Raoof Hasan cannot gather even a dozen workers.” He alleged that on Mr Hasan’s directions, a ticket had been given to a journalist who was critical of Mr Khan. He claimed that he was left with no option but to criticise him on social media.

Earlier, Mr Marwat chastised the party’s spokesperson publicly on social media. “Raoof Hasan is a conspirator and is often busy creating rifts in the party.”

“This time, he has disputed the meeting with Khan on January 13, which was held in the presence of half a dozen lawyers, including Khan’s spouse, his sisters, Ejaz Buttar and Naeem Haider Panjotha Adv,” Mr Marwat said in a post on X while referring to Mr Khan’s lawyers.

In his interview, Mr Hasan said the PTI founder was only allowed to meet his lawyers, sisters and spouse. “To date, no political leader of the party has been allowed to meet him [Imran].”

The PTI spokesperson is not the only party leader to be targeted by Mr Mawat. The firebrand lawyer has also cast aspersions on President Arif Alvi.

“Arif Alvi sahib is a wrong number. Alvi’s son had applied for the [PTI] ticket, but I had opposed allotting him the ticket,” Mr Marwat could be heard saying in several videos circulated on social media. He also added that the president had “conspired” against the party.