ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: Amid rising political tension over the future of jailed former Prime Minister Imran Khan, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has rejected accusations of a conspiracy to sideline its leader, Imran Khan. The party’s leadership has strongly dismissed claims of a “minus Imran” formula being pursued by political opponents.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur criticized what he termed a conspiracy aimed at imposing governor’s rule in the province and sidelining Imran Khan, the PTI’s founder. Party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram accused PML-N’s Azma Bukhari and her allies of working with palace-backed agendas to destabilize PTI from within. Azma Bukhari, a senior PML-N leader, suggested that Imran Khan had been sidelined by his own sister and party, describing it as a twist of fate.
Bukhari also claimed that Imran’s sister, Aleema Khan, was involved in undermining Chief Minister Gandapur, and that the political situation in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa had led to a rift within PTI. She pointed to the factional divisions within the party, including separate groups led by Junaid Akbar, Atif Khan, and rebellious members in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Responding to Bukhari’s remarks, PTI leaders rallied behind Imran Khan’s leadership, calling the ongoing efforts to remove him from the political scene futile. Gandapur refuted any suggestion that Imran Khan had become politically irrelevant, asserting that the PTI was still firmly under his leadership. He stressed that if the PTI leader wished, the government could be brought to an end immediately, emphasizing Imran’s authority over the party and its affairs.
Gandapur also accused political figures of exploiting Imran’s incarceration for their own personal gain, claiming that a covert plan to impose a financial emergency and seize control of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was underway. Despite these challenges, he insisted that the party would weather the storm and continue to serve its political agenda.
Sheikh Waqas Akram echoed Gandapur’s sentiments, stating that the ruling coalition’s obsession with removing Imran Khan only exposed their weakness. He accused the government of attempting to divide PTI and weaken its grassroots support through conspiracies. Akram further criticized the PML-N for its governance failures, particularly in Punjab, alleging corruption and financial misconduct amounting to Rs1 trillion.
He concluded with a defiant statement, asserting that despite efforts to undermine him, Imran Khan’s influence and popularity remained unshaken, and that PTI would overcome the challenges posed by its political rivals.
