Imran Khan directs PTI Punjab lawmakers to quit Assembly’s standing committees: Gohar

• PTI chairman says party’s founder instructed party’s 107 MPAs in the Punjab Assembly to step down from around 14 standing committees
• Dismisses rumours about his removal as party chairman, saying Imran praised Gandapur as ‘loyal ally’

RAWALPINDI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said on Thursday that party founder Imran Khan has directed all PTI lawmakers in Punjab to resign from the chairmanships and memberships of standing committees in the provincial assembly, mirroring similar moves made earlier in the National Assembly and Senate.

Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail after meeting the PTI founder, Gohar said Imran had given clear instructions to the party’s 107 members in the Punjab Assembly to step down from around 14 standing committees, including key oversight bodies.

“Khan has issued a direction regarding Punjab. We have 107 MPAs and about 14 standing committees. Our members will resign from their memberships and chairmanships, just as they did in the National Assembly and Senate,” he said.

The announcement follows through on Imran’s earlier stance in August, when he advised that PTI should not contest by-elections resulting from the disqualification of party members by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) over their alleged involvement in the May 9, 2023, riots. At the time, Imran had also ordered the party’s lawmakers to withdraw from all parliamentary standing committees, including the influential Public Accounts Committee (PAC).

Following those directions, PTI lawmakers began quitting committee memberships in both houses of Parliament. However, a final decision regarding Punjab had remained pending until now.

The move appears aimed at maintaining party-wide consistency in its parliamentary disengagement strategy and reinforcing Imran’s continued command over party decisions despite his imprisonment.

Gohar Denies Leadership Rift

Responding to speculation that he might be replaced as PTI chairman—a day after Ali Amin Gandapur was directed to step down as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister — Gohar dismissed the reports as baseless.

“These are just rumors. There is no issue regarding my chairmanship. The party is stable and united,” he asserted.

‘Imran Still Trusts Gandapur’

Commenting on the developments in KP, Barrister Gohar said Imran Khan held Ali Amin Gandapur in high regard, describing him as “one of my few loyal allies,” but maintained that a change in leadership was necessary due to policy differences related to the ongoing security situation.

He said Imran had reiterated his long-held view that counterterrorism operations must have a political strategy to succeed and warned that excessive use of force could further radicalise local populations.

“Whatever operation you carry out, any collateral damage in it further radicalizes people. Khan said, “Our party, government, and province cannot afford this, so we wanted some drastic change,” Gohar quoted Imran as saying.

He added that Imran had instructed the party to ensure a smooth and swift transition in KP, stressing that the provincial cabinet would continue to function during the changeover.

“The party founder will finalize the names for the new provincial setup once the process is completed,” Gohar said.

The PTI founder’s latest directions—spanning both Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa—underscore his continued influence over party affairs and his insistence on maintaining political coherence, even as he remains behind bars.