Fiery exchange exposes rupture in PAT-PTI ties
PAT leader says it is inappropriate to seek cooperation and pass derogatory remarks against them
Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid Ahmed tries to calm down Pakistan Awami Tehreek leader Khurram Nawaz Gandapur after a heated exchange of words broke out between the PAT leader and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf spokesperson Naeemul Haq, who is also visible in the picture, on Thursday, November 3, 2016. PHOTO: INP
ISLAMABAD:
Differences between PAT and PTI came out into the open when PAT leader Khurram Nawaz Gandapur and Naeemul Haq of PTI got involved in a heated exchange outside the Supreme Court on Thursday.
After a bitter verbal exchange, Gandapur quit the rostrum just before addressing the media outside the apex court.
Contrary to the current arrangement, in 2014 PAT and PTI were so close during their prolonged sit-in that they were declared ‘cousins’. Reports maintained that cracks began appearing between the two parties when PAT demanded its share if PTI succeeded in locking down Islamabad, but PTI refused to do so. Both parties, however, denied these reports.
PTI may reach out to opposition partners
PAT says its main agenda was to bring the killers of Model Town to justice while PTI claims that the probe into the Panama Papers was the major issue. Both parties still insist that they intended to participate in the protest campaign which was aimed at locking down Islamabad.
PAT insisted that it was not taken into confidence when PTI called off the protest. It complained that hundreds of its workers had been caught unaware on the way to venue of the protest.
Gandapur told The Express Tribune that PTI had neither taken PAT into confidence before announcing its protest nor did it bother to talk to it after ending the protest. “I was leading hundreds of PAT workers on November 1 when it (the protest) was called off,” he said. He added they also had reservations on the attitude of some PTI leaders who used derogatory language against Dr Tahirul Qadri.
He brought up a recent statement by Pervaiz Khattak who said PTI were not like PAT so wouldn’t remain silent if their workers are killed. Gandapur also said Dr Shireen Mazari recently called Qadri Pakistan’s Fethullah Gulen.
He said that it was inappropriate to seek cooperation from someone and pass derogatory remarks at the same time, adding that he had called up Jahangir Tareen for lodging a protest for recording his protest, but no action was taken. He said it was absolutely wrong to assume that PAT was demanding any share from PTI in return for its cooperation. He added that the situation would improve only if PTI leaders treated their ally as an equal.
PAT, PTI turn up the heat on Sharifs
PTI’s head of media department Iftikhar Durrani said that PAT had no reservations when they were invited to participate in the aborted Islamabad lockdown.
“Dr Qadri had assented to participate on PTI’s call and he had no reservations at all,” he said.
According to him, Imran Khan had contacted him and got his consent on the issue. Moreover, he said, PTI had invited all political parties to participate in the lockdown.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2016.
Differences between PAT and PTI came out into the open when PAT leader Khurram Nawaz Gandapur and Naeemul Haq of PTI got involved in a heated exchange outside the Supreme Court on Thursday.
After a bitter verbal exchange, Gandapur quit the rostrum just before addressing the media outside the apex court.
Contrary to the current arrangement, in 2014 PAT and PTI were so close during their prolonged sit-in that they were declared ‘cousins’. Reports maintained that cracks began appearing between the two parties when PAT demanded its share if PTI succeeded in locking down Islamabad, but PTI refused to do so. Both parties, however, denied these reports.
PTI may reach out to opposition partners
PAT says its main agenda was to bring the killers of Model Town to justice while PTI claims that the probe into the Panama Papers was the major issue. Both parties still insist that they intended to participate in the protest campaign which was aimed at locking down Islamabad.
PAT insisted that it was not taken into confidence when PTI called off the protest. It complained that hundreds of its workers had been caught unaware on the way to venue of the protest.
Gandapur told The Express Tribune that PTI had neither taken PAT into confidence before announcing its protest nor did it bother to talk to it after ending the protest. “I was leading hundreds of PAT workers on November 1 when it (the protest) was called off,” he said. He added they also had reservations on the attitude of some PTI leaders who used derogatory language against Dr Tahirul Qadri.
He brought up a recent statement by Pervaiz Khattak who said PTI were not like PAT so wouldn’t remain silent if their workers are killed. Gandapur also said Dr Shireen Mazari recently called Qadri Pakistan’s Fethullah Gulen.
He said that it was inappropriate to seek cooperation from someone and pass derogatory remarks at the same time, adding that he had called up Jahangir Tareen for lodging a protest for recording his protest, but no action was taken. He said it was absolutely wrong to assume that PAT was demanding any share from PTI in return for its cooperation. He added that the situation would improve only if PTI leaders treated their ally as an equal.
PAT, PTI turn up the heat on Sharifs
PTI’s head of media department Iftikhar Durrani said that PAT had no reservations when they were invited to participate in the aborted Islamabad lockdown.
“Dr Qadri had assented to participate on PTI’s call and he had no reservations at all,” he said.
According to him, Imran Khan had contacted him and got his consent on the issue. Moreover, he said, PTI had invited all political parties to participate in the lockdown.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 4th, 2016.