PTI says all united behind Imran as insiders claim internal rifts

PTI Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram told Dawn that differences of opinion should not be interpreted as a split calling these part of political process. “Anyone can have their own opinion, but when it comes to Imran Khan, all are united,” he asserted. His remarks came amid claims by officials and even some PTI insiders that the party has been struggling to evolve a unified political strategy nearly three years after Mr Khan was put behind bars, with differences over protest politics, parliamentary engagement, decision-making and the role of different centres of influence within the party. For instance, a senior PTI leader, requesting anonymity, claimed that several “groups” had emerged within the party, including the current central leadership, Mr Khan’s family, the parliamentary party, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government and party-linked social media activists, most of whom are outside the country. “None of them is interested in talking to each other and taking collective decisions,” he told Dawn. He claimed that the party’s political committee had been abolished and replaced with a new committee. “Whenever the party wants to make a decision, it is discussed in the committee, and whenever it wants to delay matters, they are referred to Imran Khan,” he said. PTI’s parliamentary role Another PTI leader, who is also a parliamentarian, questioned some of the party’s decisions. “We are sitting in the National Assembly and Senate, but we are not part of parliamentary committees