Chink in PTI’s armour laid bare

LAHORE: Demonstrations of the PTI disunity are ten-a-penny these days. And Sunday’s Workers’ Convention was no different. On the eve of the announcement of the much-anticipated date of the Raiwind march, a series of unexpected events unfolded, exposing internal challenges the party faces as it squares up for its anti-corruption movement.

Additional Secretary General Saifullah Niazi especially chose this day to resign while the party’s different wings, the youth wing in particular, agitated against their ‘unconstitutional’ dissolution. The two events are being linked to internal grievances regarding decision making, which has largely been blamed on Secretary General Jahangir Tareen.

However, party sources had tried to downplay the news by saying that the resignation was submitted a week ago.

The youth wing held a meeting in the federal capital just hours before the workers’ convention to deliberate over its status. The meeting also passed a resolution, demanding the issue be resolved and the decision to dissolve the wings be taken back immediately.

On September 10, a notification from the  office of Secretary General Jahangir Tareen informed of the dissolution of the party’s youth, women and labour wings while notifying their reorganisation at the regional level which “shall be done by the regional presidents of the party”.

This move was met with scepticism within the party, with disgruntled groups claiming it a violation of the party’s constitution, as well as monopoly of a ‘bloc’ within the party.

Party sources say the existence of wings at the provincial level is undermining the party’s operations at the regional level, adding regional presidents in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa had aired their reservations over this disharmony.

The resolution disowned the decision and demanded that “the dissolved wings continue to exist and operate in the same manner prior to the dissolution notification”.

PTI’s Youth Wing (Punjab) information secretary Adeel Shafi said no consultation were held with them prior to issuing the notification, adding the representatives of all the wings had met the party’s chief on Saturday to take up their concerns questioned the move that came just weeks ahead of the Raiwind rally.

“We will own the party’s decision. We have given our input and we will take part in the Raiwind rally regardless (of the notification),” he said.

“If there is an issue regarding our performance, we could sort it out but if it’s administrative, we have requested that we (should) be allowed to operate,” he said.

Images of anti-Tareen posters also circulated on social and mainstream media on Sunday, which the youth wing said was not part of their official stance on the issue.

“These may be individual acts. Our wing is not a corporate office. It is part of a democratic party and as policy our wing is not against Tareen, even though we may disagree with the decision.”

Currently, the youth wing operates in all 36 districts of Punjab at the UC level with over 3,000 office-bearers. The PTI is weighing the impact of this decision on the Raiwind rally, with the party making attempts to pacify the situation.

On Sunday evening, a statement by the PTI’s spokesperson claimed that misunderstandings regarding dissolution of the wings had resulted in negative reactions. It stated that instead of dissolving the wings, they had been devolved administratively at lower levels.

But despite this, internal pressure over the issue spilled into the Workers’ Convention on Sunday where amid sloganeering by the youth wing calling for its reinstatement, Imran Khan, while lashing out at them, has warned them that he may even consider wrapping up the wing altogether.

With expectations rife among the youth wing regarding restoration of party wings, the sloganeering became intense as their party chief came close to concluding his speech.

Former PTI Punjab president Ejaz Chaudhry told The Express Tribune that the decision on the subject would be taken after September 30 after a detailed meeting of the party’s core group.

As for the status of the wings, he said the status quo was to be maintained, adding that the chairman had taken notice of the issue and that it had been decided during the party’s Sunday meeting to address it after the Raiwind rally.

However, internal resistance regarding holding the Raiwind rally fizzled out on Sunday, as party leaders were seen moving in unison with the idea. Chaudhry, a strong advocate of the rally, said it was “unanimous announcement”.

Opposition Leader in the Punjab Assembly Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed and Chaudhry Sarwar had expressed reservations over the venue and the timing of the protest.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 19^th, 2016.