Imran-Mujib debacle: ‘No more posts on Imran’s X account sans prior approval’

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Ali Muhammad Khan has announced that the party’s core committee will convene a meeting to discuss a controversial tweet from the official account of PTI founder Imran Khan. Moving forward, he said no posts will be made from the founder's account without his explicit approval.

In a post on the social media platform X dated May 26, Imran Khan's account, managed by his social media team due to his incarceration, shared a video with a quote attributed to him: “Every Pakistani should study the Hamoodur Rahman Commission Report and get to know who was the true traitor, General Yahya Khan or Sheikh Mujibur Rahman.”

The video argued that the former military dictator was responsible for the country's breakup, referring to alleged atrocities committed by the Pakistani military during the civil war. It also included images of the current civilian and military leadership, alleging they stole the party’s mandate in the general elections.

The post generated intense blowback and controversy, particularly from government ranks, who termed it “alarming” and accused the PTI of “continuously fueling the narrative of hatred and incitement” by comparing Imran to Sheikh Mujib.

Also read: ‘Imran is not Mujib’: PTI’s Ali Muhammad rejects comparisons to 1971 crisis

Speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail on Friday, Ali Muhammad said, "A core committee meeting has been called regarding the controversial tweet from the official X handle of our party's founder. Important decisions will be made, and henceforth, no posts will be made without the founder's permission."

He further said that their leader's stance is clear: the establishment should have no role in politics. He added that they have not been granted permission to meet with the PTI founder in prison. "The PTI founder has requested permission to consult with Supreme Court lawyers," he noted.

The FIA Cyber Wing has already launched an investigation over the controversial tweet.

The FIA Cyber Crime Cell team reached Adiala Jail after obtaining permission from the Judicial Magistrate in Islamabad to question the incarcerated PTI founder yesterday. However, Imran Khan refused to answer the FIA team's questions, insisting that he would only respond in the presence of his lawyers.

In an interview on Express News's programme "Centre Stage" on Thursday, Ali Muhammad Khan stated, "The current situation bears no resemblance to the events of 1971, and PTI's founder is not Sheikh Mujibur Rahman." He added that PTI's stance on the matter is “purely political”.