Shireen Mazari appointed official spokesperson to chairman, Naeemul Haq made information secretary. PHOTO: EXPRESS
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) on Wednesday replaced Dr. Shireen Mazari with Naeemul Haq as new information secretary of the party in line with Chairman Imran Khan’s decision to put in place fresh interim setup.
PTI election tribunal headed by Justice retired Wajihuddin Ahmed had asked for dissolution of the elected bodies and office-bearers and to form an interim set-up to run the party affairs.
Earlier this month, Imran Khan had withdrawn the controversial decision to dissolve election tribunal led by Justice retried Wajihuddin Ahmed amid growing criticism over his ‘authoritarian’ approach to run the party. After withdrawing the dissolution order, the PTI requested the tribunal “for grant of three weeks’ time to take effective steps for implementation of the tribunal’s orders,” with regard to intra-party elections.
According to the decision, Dr. Mazari would now officiate as spokesperson to the Chairman and chief whip of the party in the National Assembly. Internal communications among the party leaders had alleged Haq for maltreatment of women when he was president of party’s Sindh chapter. Naz Baloch and the late Zahra Shahid Hussain had complained against the behavior of Haq in their emails.
In addition, the PTI appointed Shah Mehmood Qureshi as National Organiser of the party, Jahangir Tareen as Central Organiser and Saifullah Niazi as Additional Central Organiser. Asad Umer has been appointed head of media, marketing and policy.
The party also reviewed its decision under which former Governor Punjab Chaudhry Muhammad Sarwar was made Organizer Punjab, saying “the organization and responsibility of Punjab being the largest and most populated province with 148 seats of National Assembly has been divided.”
Shah Mehmood Qureshi shall have additional responsibility of southern Punjab that include Multan Division, Sahiwal Division, DG Khan Division and Bahawalpur Division. Chaudhry Sarwar has been limited to Faisalabad, Lahore, Sargodha, Gujranwala and Rawalpindi divisions which are known as stronghold of ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz [PML-N]. A notification in this regard has been issued.
Earlier on May 26, the party requested Election Commission of Pakistan [ECP] to adjourn hearing of the case regarding financial irregularities for another two weeks, scheduled for May 27.
A full bench of the ECP headed by the Chief Election Commissioner Justice retired Sardar Muhammad Raza on April 1 had passed an order that the declarations made by PTI in their audit reports do not disclose source and details of funds received.
The PTI had sought over a month long adjournment to produce the information as their lead lawyer was busy in High Court bar elections. On May 6 it changed its lead lawyer and sought more time as the new lawyer wanted to study the case. And on May 26 another two-week adjournment is sought as the PTI’s new lawyer is suffering ‘severe back problem.’
Published in The Express Tribune, May 28th, 2015.
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