Politics

PTI blasts Asad Umar after he criticised party chief’s policies

Published

1 year ago

Farwa

Ambiguity, confusion evident in Asad Umar’s thoughts: PTI.
Umar can justify his decision, but should not ignore facts, says PTI.
“I do not agree with PTI chairman’s current strategy, Umar says.

Hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar criticised his leader Imran Khan for refusing to negotiate with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the party has hit back at the senior leader, accusing him of being “confused” and “self-serving”.

A scathing two-page-long statement was issued by the party’s media department on Twitter late last night following the former secretary general’s interview in which he criticised the policies adopted by the PTI chief.

“Ambiguity and confusion are evident in Asad Umar’s thoughts; Asad Umar’s claims that he stepped down from the duties of secretary general due to disagreements over the chairman’s strategy appear to contradict reality,” the statement read.

“If Asad Umar disagreed with the decisions of the chairman or the party and did not think it appropriate to go through with them, he should have parted ways [from PTI],” it stated, adding that he “remembered to resign” only now that the party is being targeted under a plan.

“His personal interest may be hidden in it, but not the party’s,” the statement alleged.

Furthermore, the statement took issue with Umar’s claims that the party had refused to negotiate: “Umar, as Secretary General, is well aware of the numerous efforts made to discuss national issues with these political parties.

“Asad Umar himself used to take this position that whenever he tried to talk to these parties, they did not discuss any agenda other than the acquisition of NRO.”

Attacking the leaders of other political parties, the statement contended that the reason for the fruitless termination of the talks was not PTI but the other side’s reluctance to contest elections for fear of defeat.

The statement maintained that PTI had shown great flexibility within the ambit of the Constitution.

“So Asad Umar can justify his indefensible decision but should avoid ignoring the facts.

If Asad Umar had taken a principled stand and decided to secede before the hard times fell on the party, perhaps there would have been more weight in his words,” the statement concluded.

‘Big mistake’

While talking to a private TV channel on Monday, Umar said his party’s refusal to negotiate with the PDM was a “big mistake”.

“While PTI is a political reality that polled 16.8 million votes, the PDM made it to parliament with 22.5 million votes,” he said.

The PTI leader — who resigned from the position of the party’s secretary general following the May 9 riots — further remarked that blaming some personalities of an institution was akin to blaming not only that institution but also the entire nation.

“May 9 was a wake-up call, and everyone must take two steps back,” he said.

However, Umar also expressed reservations about the PTI chairman’s current course of action during the interview.

“I do not agree with the current strategy of the PTI chairman,” he said.

However, I have no intention of doing politics in any other party except the PTI. The vote bank belongs only to Imran Khan and not any other party leader. If Imran Khan himself decides to be minus, then the party may disappear, Umar added.

The PTI stalwart also came down hard on those siding with the PTI chief and said: “Those who are telling Khan what he is doing is excellent and that he has to stand his ground have, in fact, no good intentions for the PTI chairman.”

He further claimed that the party’s senior political leadership was ignored during the decision-making.

“We should have taken the election date that the government was giving us,” he said, adding that around 80% of PTI MNAs were against resigning from their seats.

Two days after the PTI chairman was ousted as the prime minister in April 2022 — through a no-confidence motion moved by the then-opposition — all PTI MNAs resigned en masse on April 11.

However, last month the Lahore High Court declared “null and void” the acceptance of the resignations of 72 PTI members of the National Assembly, including Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar, and Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Umar revealed that when the election date was under discussion, there was a meeting in which almost all the party’s senior leadership except the PTI chief was present.

“Everyone except Shah Mehmood Qureshi said the proposed election date should be accepted,” he said.

Moreover, the PTI leader added that given where the country is, it has become a responsibility to say what is better for the country.

“It is not easy, but it needs ethical courage,” he said, adding that he talked to the party’s senior leadership over this matter but was not heard.

“I take no responsibility for this crisis within the party. In my opinion, Imran Khan should prepare himself for modification in his current stance,” he said.

“The people decide the future of a leader,” Umar remarked, adding that this does not mean a leader who has committed a crime should be forgiven; he must be punished.

He said the PTI supporters would not support his arguments, but he would defend himself.

He denied making any deal but admitted receiving invitations from multiple sources from one party.

“I won’t join any other political party. I joined the PTI because the party sent those to the Houses who had not even thought of entering them. I won’t practically contest election from any party,” he reiterated.

Latest News

Containers were used to seal the Red Zone before JI’s sit-in at D-Chowk.

Published

23 hours ago

Farwa

Authorities in Islamabad have blocked off the Red Zone by erecting containers in front of today’s (Friday) Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) demonstration and the Jamaat-i-Islami sit-in at D-Chowk in Islamabad.

Jamaat-i-Islami is scheduled to stage a sit-in at Islamabad’s D-Chowk, and the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has declared a nationwide protest against the country’s soaring inflation and recent spike in electricity rates.

Containers have been used to block access to the Red Zone’s main crossroads, D Chowk, Nadra Chowk, and Sarina Chowk.

ISLAMABAD, PUNJAB SECTION 144

In the meantime, in response to PTI and JI plans for statewide rallies, the federal and Punjabi governments enforced Section 144 in Islamabad and Punjab. Section 144 will be in force from Friday, July 26 to Sunday, July 28, per the notification that was released in this regard.

Rallies, sit-ins, protests, and rallies are prohibited from July 26 to July 28, according to a letter from the Home Department. It said that terrorists may find public gatherings to be an easy target and stated that the decision had been made with the threat of terrorism in mind.

In contrast, JI Secretary General Ameerul Azeem claimed in a statement that police had raided the residences of JI officials across the nation.

In an attempt to break up the protest, he said, police had targeted JI leaders and activists. He also alleged that multiple instances of police raids, arrests, and harassment of women had occurred in various towns.

GOVT ADVISED

The government was forewarned by Jamaat Emir Hafiz Naeemur Rehman earlier on Thursday that it would face consequences if the party was barred from accessing Islamabad for their scheduled demonstration against inflation and an increase in electricity prices.

He stated in a statement that their belief is in peaceful political protest as a means of securing public rights. “We are not afraid of arrests, and the Jamaat-e-Islami cannot be stopped,” he added.

“The historic sit-in on Friday, July 26, will represent 250 million people of Pakistan, and we will sit peacefully at D-Chowk.”

According to the JI, convoys are in route from all around the nation to participate in the sit-in. He encouraged the administration to offer a location for the protest, highlighting that it is their constitutional and democratic right to speak up for the country.

“Any political party that wishes to participate” was invited, and he welcomed them all.

Prior to the sit-in, police raided the residences of JI leaders and officials in many parts of Punjab and Rawalpindi, making multiple arrests.

Ameerul Azim, the central secretary general of Jamaat-e-Islami, was not able to be arrested during the police raid; instead, Shaukat Mahmood, his driver, was taken into custody.

Latest News

The Socioeconomic Registry of Punjab. Real data gathering is essential to effective governance. Maryam

Published

23 hours ago

Farwa

Maryam Nawaz Sharif, the chief minister of Punjab, announced that the province will introduce the “Apna Ghar Scheme,” adding that accurate data collecting is necessary in order to provide social security to the impoverished.

At the Punjab Socio-Economic Registry’s opening event in Lahore, the Maryam announced that the province’s government has started the “Roshan Gharana” project, which aims to provide 4.5 million individuals with solar panels on manageable installment plans.

Maryam Nawaz, who emphasized the necessity of centralized data, stated that data has become increasingly important in recent years since it makes basic amenities more accessible and aids in the classification of the poor.

She stated that several initiatives are being taken by the Punjabi government to assist those with disabilities.

The Punjab government, led by Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif, is dedicated to providing relief to the poor, according to Senior Provincial Minister Punjab Marriyum Aurangzeb, who spoke on the occasion.

The government, she noted, is concentrating on health and education services.

Latest News

The ECP asks the SC to clarify the ruling in the PTI reserved seat case.

Published

2 days ago

Farwa

Seeking clarity on a court ruling concerning the allotment of particular seats to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) moved the Supreme Court on Monday.

ECP members reportedly agreed unanimously on the SC’s decision to consult the SC.

Particularly cited under Paragraph 10 of the Supreme Court ruling, the ECP has called attention to vagueness in the ruling. In order to determine which body is in charge of party certificate issuance, the ECP is asking the Supreme Court for advice.

Concerning the validity of PTI’s party structure, the ECP pointed out that the organisation hasn’t held internal elections.

In the lack of distinct party organisation and intra-party elections, there is ambiguity over which certifications hold recognition.

Position of ECP

The absence of intra-party elections, according to ECP sources, prevents Tehreek-e-Insaaf from operating as a legitimate organisation.

A plea for clarification on party certificate authority and recognition has been made to the Supreme Court by the ECP.

Resolving the existing ambiguity and guaranteeing proper electoral processes will depend on the Supreme Court’s clarity on these issues.

Continue reading: ECP orders implementation of SC ruling regarding PTI reserved seats

Previous to this, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) reserved seat verdict will be implemented, according to a Friday announcement made by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) of Pakistan.

On Friday, a meeting of ECP members was chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Sikandar Sultan Raja.

If the SC ruling is being carried out with any judicial decision becoming a roadblock, ECP has resolved to seek guidance from the judges in the room.

“The Supreme Court will be consulted for additional guidance in the event of any obstacles,” the ECP statement stated.

ECP declines resignation demand and political party criticism.

The chief election commissioner and members have been the target of persistent attack from a political party, which the highest electoral authority has sharply denounced. No political name was mentioned by the ECP.

The ECP called the demand for resignation from the party “absurd” and rejected the political party’s unjustified criticism, which had been made continuously.

Regardless of the pressure, the statement said, ECP would keep up its adherence to the law and the Constitution.