PTI's new anti-govt movement exposes growing internal rift

• PTI leaders clash over timeline of protest campaign launch.
• Gandapur vows “do or die” protest within 90 days.
• Punjab minister warns PTI against inciting unrest.
  

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE: The senior leadership of the opposition Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are at odds over the party's newly announced anti-government movement, exposing a growing rift within the party's ranks.

“We have to decide in 90 days whether to do politics or not. The [protest] movement will be a do or die [in nature],” Gandapur said while speaking at a press conference in Lahore alongside Salman Akram Raja and other PTI leaders.

On the other hand, PTI Punjab Chief Organiser Aliya Hamza raised questions about the movement. Aliya Hamza, according to The News, said: “Will anyone shed light on this? What plan of action was announced yesterday or today for the release of PTI founder?”

She also asked, “Where and how will the PTI protest movement start?”

Aliya Hamza further asked, “Where did the 90-day plan come from compared to the call for protest on August 5? If any of you have noticed anything, please guide me too.”

Gandapur’s remarks come a day after the former ruling party formally launched its anti-government campaign, set to reach its “peak” by August 5, following a high-level huddle in the provincial capital.

Among other objectives, the protest movement is aimed at securing release of party founder Imran Khan, who will complete two years in jail on August 5.

Expanding on the party’s latest protest movement aimed at achieving political goals, CM Gandapur Sunday said that it would be led by the PTI founder, who held the party’s decision-making power.

To a question, he said, “PTI would go all out in this movement whether we remain in government or not as it doesn’t matter to us. We will go to every corner of the country and mobilise the people.”

Azma slams Gandapur

Meanwhile, Punjab Information Minister Azma Bukhari has said Gandapur was welcomed as a peaceful visitor, but if he tried to bring armed elements or incite chaos, the government will respond strictly under the law.

She said this in her statement on the occasion of Kashmir Martyrs Day here on Sunday. She paid rich tribute to the struggle and sacrifices of Kashmiri people.

She challenged Gandapur to return with his cabinet and MPAs, saying, “We will show him how garbage is cleaned in Peshawar, how talented students are awarded scholarships, and how hospitals like Nawaz Sharif Hospital are built within a year.” She emphasized that programmes like the laptop scheme reflect the government’s vision for youth empowerment, not hollow slogans for political mileage.

Expressing grief over the loss of 10 precious lives in Swat, Bukhari criticised Gandapur for not offering condolences to the victims’ families, despite previously dramatising sympathy over the Sahiwal incident. She said Gandapur excels in sloganeering and theatrics, but fails when it comes to real challenges.

Azma also criticised PTI’s violent history and current agenda, stating that whether it’s the martyrdom of Punjabis in Balochistan or tragic incidents in Swat, Gandapur has remained completely silent. She strongly condemned the deepfake campaign targeting the Army Chief, declaring such actions the work of enemies of the state.