PTI’s Salman Akram Raja defends Punjab committee, rejects calls for changes

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday stood by the composition of the newly formed Punjab Coordination and Monitoring Committee, asserting that no member would be removed and no new names would be added despite internal criticism.

The five-member committee, notified a day earlier and headed by Amjad Khan Niazi, includes Naeem Haider Panjotha, Shaukat Mahmood Basra, Ali Ijaz Buttar, and Mehr Abdul Sattar.

However, the appointment of Niazi as convener has drawn criticism from party members due to his earlier departure from PTI following the May 9 protests. Responding to the concerns, Raja said that PTI founder Imran Khan had accepted Niazi’s explanation and later appointed him as his political coordinator.

Raja highlighted a leadership vacuum in Punjab, stating that a large portion of the party’s leadership is either jailed or in hiding. He described Niazi as the most suitable choice to manage party affairs under the circumstances. The committee has been tasked with coordinating organisational matters, preparing for elections, strengthening party structures, overseeing affiliated wings, and planning political activities across the province.

The committee will also monitor prisoners’ welfare and provide legal support, submitting weekly reports to the secretary general. Raja acknowledged facing pressure to alter the committee but refused to concede, attributing criticism to those who failed to secure positions.

Meanwhile, party leader Shaukat Mahmood Basra said multiple cases had been registered against him and vowed continued efforts to strengthen the party for the release of Imran Khan. Party insiders noted that the committee’s formation has sparked debate within PTI, with both opposition and support emerging from within its ranks.