Hours after Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Asad Umar criticized its leader Imran Khan for refusing to hold talks with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the party hit back at the senior leader. Alleged that they are “confused” and “self-serving”.
After the former secretary general’s interview, the party’s media department issued a scathing two-page statement on Twitter late last night criticizing the policies adopted by the PTI chief. Made.
The statement said that ambiguity and ambivalence in Asad Umar’s views were evident, with Asad Umar’s claim that he stepped down from the duties of secretary general due to disagreements over the chairman’s strategy appeared to contradict reality.
“If Asad Umar didn’t agree with the chairman or the party’s decisions and didn’t think it was worth going along with them, he should have parted ways [from the PTI],” he said, adding that he “still remembers to resign”. . That the party is being targeted as planned.
“His personal interest may be hidden in this, but not the party’s,” the statement alleged.
Furthermore, the statement took issue with Omar’s claim that the party had refused to engage in dialogue: “Omar, as Secretary General, has made several attempts to discuss national issues with these political parties. are well aware.
Asad Umar himself maintained that whenever he tried to talk to these parties, they did not discuss any agenda except the acquisition of NRO.
Criticizing the leaders of other political parties, the statement said that the reason for the negotiations ending inconclusively is not PTI but the reluctance to contest the elections for fear of defeat by the other party.
The statement said that PTI showed great flexibility by staying within the framework of the constitution.
So Asad Umar can justify his indefensible decision but avoid ignoring the facts.
If Asad Umar had taken a principled stand and decided to part ways before hard times hit the party, his words might have carried more weight.
‘big mistake’
Speaking to a private TV channel on Monday, Umar said his party’s refusal to hold talks with PDM was a “big mistake”.
“While the PTI is a political reality that secured 16.8 million votes, the PDM made it to Parliament with 22.5 million votes,” he said.
The PTI leader, who resigned as the party’s general secretary after the May 9 riots, further remarked that blaming certain personalities of an institution is tantamount to blaming not only that institution but the entire nation.
“May 9 was a wake-up call, and everyone should take two steps back,” he said.
However, Umar also expressed reservations over the PTI chairman’s current behavior during the interview.
He said that I do not agree with the current strategy of the PTI chairman.
However, I have no intention of doing politics in any other party except PTI. The vote bank belongs only to Imran Khan and not to any other party leader. Umar further said that if Imran Khan himself decides to go minus, then the party may end.
The PTI leader also slammed the PTI chief’s supporters and said: “Those who are telling Khan what he is doing is the best and they have to stand their ground, the truth. I, have no good intentions for the PTI chairman.”
He further claimed that the senior political leadership of the party was ignored during the decision-making process.
“We should have taken the election date that the government was giving us,” he said, adding that 80 percent of PTI MNAs were against resigning their seats.
Two days after the PTI chairman was removed as prime minister in April 2022 – through a no-confidence motion moved by the then opposition – all PTI MNAs resigned en masse on April 11. gave
However, last month the Lahore High Court declared the acceptance of the resignations of 72 National Assembly members of the PTI, including Fawad Chaudhry, Hammad Azhar and Shah Mehmood Qureshi, as “null and void”.
Umar revealed that when the election date was being discussed, a meeting was held in which almost all the senior leadership of the party except the PTI chief was present.
He said that everyone except Shah Mehmood Qureshi said that the proposed date of election should be accepted.
Further, the PTI leader added that given the country where it is, it has become a responsibility to say what is best for the country.
“It is not easy, but it requires moral courage,” he said, adding that he had raised the matter with the party’s senior leadership but had not heard back.
He said that I do not take any responsibility for this crisis within the party, in my opinion Imran Khan should prepare himself to amend his current position.
Omar remarked that “the people decide the future of the leader,” adding that this does not mean pardoning a leader who has committed a crime. He should be punished.
He said that PTI supporters will not support his arguments, but he will defend himself.
He denied making any deal but admitted to receiving invitations from multiple sources from one party.
“I will not join any other political party. I joined the PTI because the party sent people to the Houses who never thought of entering them. I am practically an election from any party. I will not fight,” he repeated.
