ISLAMABAD: Former prime minister Imran Khan this week said he did not see any “meaningful momentum” building behind his party’s anti-government protest scheduled for Aug. 5, urging members of his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party to set aside their differences and unite.
Reports of a rift within the party began to emerge after Ali Amin Gandapur, a close Khan aide and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chief minister, announced on July 13 that a 90-day “do-or-die” protest drive against the government is underway. The protest call, however, appeared to contradict an earlier demand for a nationwide protest posted on Khan’s official X account, which the party says will reach its “peak” on Aug. 5. The day marks the second anniversary of Khan’s imprisonment on corruption charges.
Speculation of conflicts within the party further grew after senior PTI leader and Punjab Chief Organizer Aliya Hamza Malik publicly voiced concerns on X about a lack of clarity around the campaign after Gandapur’s announcement. Malik questioned the origin of the 90-day plan and asked for details on the party’s strategy to secure Khan’s release.
In a message shared last week through his official X account— which Khan does not operate as he is in jail— the PTI founder instructed his party leaders and supporters to avoid airing their personal differences on media.
