Vawda's presser ‘calculated to torpedo’ Imran’s show

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders were left shocked and bewildered after party leader Faisal Vawda appeared on state-owned broadcaster PTV and placed himself at the forefront and “tried to damage” the party's upcoming long march to Islamabad and denounced his claims that the protests would witness “bloodshed”.

Vawda claimed during his hurriedly-called presser that the establishment had no role in the killing of senior journalist Arshad Sharif, adding that the name of the conspirators would be revealed soon.

He said that the killing of the senior journalist was not an accident and his murder was planned in Pakistan. "I've made a video and named people... If I'm killed the personalities involved will also be killed in three to five hours," he said.

Vawda also claimed that the upcoming long march towards Islamabad would be “bloody”. “Imran Khan’s peaceful long march is our right but I am clearly telling you I am seeing blood, deaths and coffins in this march.”

Shortly after the presser, in the show-cause notice issued to Vawda, PTI Sindh President Ali Zaidi told the former minister that he had "grossly violated discipline by giving statements against party policies and guidelines".

"This is in serious violation of party rules as per the constitution, therefore, you are required to submit a reply within two days of this notice stating why your party membership should not be cancelled.”

Zaidi said that until his response, his party membership would remain suspended and he would not be allowed to hold any party office or represent the party in the media.

The PTI leaders as well as political observers, who saw the sudden twist as orchestrated from ‘certain quarters’ only against the party, smelled a rat in what they believed was a “strategically timed dog whistle” to put a dent to the party’s narrative ahead of the long march.

They said that the shocking ‘red-meat’ remarks delivered right from the government’s forum were “scripted” to provide the PML-N-led coalition with fresh fodder to attack PTI.

Interestingly, they noted, the conference was organised by the Press Information Department (PID), which is the principal department of the information ministry and responsible for disseminating government information to the media.

Soon after the presser created ripples, Senator Ejaz Chaudhry took to Twitter and reiterated that PTI rejected Vawda's press conference. “Everyone knows whose game Faisal Vawda is playing – the nation is fortunately very informed thanks to Imran Khan.”

Former Sindh governor Imran Ismail said that he failed to understand on whose instruction was Faisal saying all this. "I am unable to understand what was the real purpose of today's press conference? Our long march is peaceful," he added.

‘False claims’

In conversation with a private television channel right after Vawda's presser, PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said that the party leader's claims of bloodshed during the march were "false".

"PTI's march will be peaceful," Fawad said, voicing PTI Chairman Imran Khan's statement that the march would see no violence and he would not allow his workers to be arrested.

"Frankly, I am surprised and confused at Faisal Vawda's press conference. We were unaware of his press conference," the senior PTI leader said.

In a tweet, PTI Secretary General Asad Umar said Vawda's statement does not represent party policy and views, adding that a show-cause notice would be issued to him.

"President Sindh has been told on the instructions of the chairman Imran Khan to issue show-cause notice to Faisal for violating party policy," Umar said.
Zaidi said that Vawda tried to "damage" the party's long march as he cast aspersions on the motives of the presser.

"Interestingly all channels + PTV covered the presser so it’s clear that #ImportedGovernment launched him. But he made no sense," the former federal minister said.

Zaidi asked that when Imran has clearly issued instructions for all to remain peaceful, then what weight Vawda's presser carried.

PTI leader Zulfi Bukhari asked whether the state broadcaster PTV was devolved to Punjab or Khyber Pakhtunkhwa — where the Imran-led party is in power.
"Is that why they just kindly aired Faisal Vadwa’s press conference? Will they show all of ours daily from now on? Or was this one special?" he wondered.

Senator Shibli Faraz termed the presser a “shoddy and disjointed attempt to distort facts and undermine long march”. "People of Pakistan don’t eat grass. Azadi march will inshallah achieve its noble objectives," he added.

PTI leader Babar Awan said that the strategy for the long march would remain the same as earlier stated by the party chairman.

PTI leader Shireen Mazari tweeted: “So here is how things were done. Vawda announced his presser & many channels received calls to cover live [including] PTV. How did callers know the content of the presser to push for this coverage? Immed after the presser, Rana Sana warned Vawda's words shd be taken seriously. MNS was ready for his press talk immed after.”

“Synchronised activities to what end? Nothing new in Vawda's talk except an attempt to do some sensitive whitewashing & sabotage PTI [long march]. Now if anything untoward happens fingers will point in a particular direction. Staged events create unexpected fallout.”

Journalists express doubts

Journalist Kamran Yousaf pointed out that the most important thing about Vawda's press conference was that it was organised by the Press Information Department, which conducts only government press conferences.

Senior journalist Syed Talat Hussain said that Faisal Vawda’s press conference “proved only one thing: The scientists who carried out the disastrous 2018 electoral experiment had no waste management strategy. Now that the dirt has hit the fan, there is a desperate attempt to somehow survive the stench. What a glorious mess.”

The journalists also pointed out that strangely enough, shortly before Vawda's conference that deviated from PTI's stance was aired on TV, PML-N leader Hina Pervaiz Butt had tweeted that a "surprise" was soon to come.

Interestingly, journalist Gharidah Farooqi also took to Twitter and wrote: "Wait for 9pm. Rumours are making the rounds that PTI's anti-institution narrative about Arshad Sharif's martyrdom will soon be tanked".

‘Et Tu, Faisal Vawda?’

“Et Tu, Faisal Vawda?” asked journalist Mehr Tarar.

“Another dagger. How interesting that his anti-long march press conference was shown on all channels including Pakistan Television Corporation. Such transparent manipulation is just lazy, and childish,” she said, casting aspersions on the alleged manipulation.