The internal dynamics of PTI have been questioned amidst the controversy that started surfacing after KP Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, as the senior leader of the party will be dealing with this grave aftermath. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has levied serious allegations on Gandapur by charging him of playing a “double game” during a crucial protest in Islamabad.
Criticizing Gandapur for taking to hiding when his party supporters needed him the most, Khawaja Asif said during an appearance on Geo News that the KP Chief Minister’s sudden disappearance from D-Chowk during the protest had left all the party supporters demoralized. The party’s supporters were expecting his leadership at the front lines. Asif alleged that most of the people present during the protest were either residents of Islamabad or policemen from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa wearing civvies.
Adding fuel to the fire, according to different sources, new CCTV footage has surfaced which captured the brief stay of Ali Amin Gandapur at Khyber Pakhtunkhwa House in Islamabad. He entered the building at 3:24 PM on Saturday and left after just 36 minutes with security personnel from KP Police. The footage appears to show that he left from the back exit, underlining the charge that he left the scene instead of taking his supporters to a leader.
The PTI activists are very vocal on social media. They asked if Gandapur had done the right thing during the sit-in protests. Several have pointed out contradictions in his claims and demanded transparency over his movements at the time of the climax of that particular event. The video just gave it more ammunition to inflame the debate, which also has been responsible for infighting within the ranks of PTI as supporters feel betrayed at what they regard as the lack of leadership.
Sources from PTI have revealed that the recent activities of Gandapur have not pleased many of the senior leaders. They say that the unexplained and frequent disappearance of the Chief Minister from major events, such as one in Islamabad and earlier rallies in Lahore and Rawalpindi, has raised very serious doubts about his commitment to the cause. It was the no-show by Gandhi during the height of the protest that caused almost a thousand workers to face the rough end of the police, and they were arrested in droves according to a party insider.
The angst in PTI ranks is slowly coming out into the open, where senior members of the party air their grievances about the inability of Gandapur to meet his promises. Many feel that had Gandapur been more upfront with heading the protest procession towards D-Chowk, morale among party workers would have still been high as he had left. Otherwise, it is pretty depressing that he has surrendered and returned, leaving his detractors seeing his stint in a rather unfulfilling way, making them say that the leaders, too, are switched off from key policy decisions such as the strategy of leading the party through the most adverse circumstances it may face in the future.
Defence Minister Khawaja Asif was swift to comment on Gandapur’s close connection with PTI founder Imran Khan, saying that Gandapur’s position in the party seems secure despite his controversial act as he is one very important link between PTI and the establishment, that’s why Imran Khan never took any disciplinary action against him.
He elaborated that PTI’s top leadership was not likely to rebuke Gandapur publicly as he played a vital role in keeping in touch with high-power stakeholders. Asif further claimed that PTI’s support for the Palestinian cause was pretty weak as the party did not send representatives to the recent gatherings to stand with the Palestinian people.
Govt sources said reports of division in PTI were nothing but speculative and denied that the party was divided under the leadership of Imran Khan. They concede, though, that Gandapur’s handling of the protest had not gone unnoticed by Imran Khan and others, and would have long-term implications for him.
According to political analysts, the way Gandapur is now acting in the protest will tear PTI apart if that does not come out short term. Dissenting members are getting their voices out over the way the leadership has dealt with critical situations, and this problem the party faces to regain its momentum and mobilize supporters to hit the streets might get much worse.
The dust of the protest has only just begun to settle, and inside PTI, repercussions from what Gandapur did are being keenly felt. Whether the party’s leadership comes out in the open to address these or continues on the present track remains to be seen. As of now, however, it is evident that the future stability of PTI depends much on reconciling internal differences and restoring confidence amongst its supporters at the grassroots level. Days ahead shall be important in reviewing how the party is going to weather political turbulence and if it really can remake its base of loyal followership.
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