Leaked audio highlights PTI's mismanagement

In an allegedly leaked audio recording, PTI leader Ali Muhammad Khan claimed that following the Islamabad High Court's (IHC) ban on protests in the capital, the party's political committee believed the proposed march should be postponed.

However, he stated that the committee was unable to meet PTI founder Imran Khan, detained at Rawalpindi's Adiala Jail, before the protest. This led to the alleged killing of a dozen PTI workers.

According to the leaked message, apparently shared in a PTI leaders' WhatsApp group, Imran Khan did not instruct the party to stage a sit-in at D-Chowk, located in Islamabad's high-security Red Zone.

Ali Muhammad Khan claimed that on November 25, a day before authorities dispersed PTI protesters through a heavy-handed crackdown, Imran Khan directed PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan to stop the protesters at the Sangjani area of Islamabad.

He expressed regret that Gohar Ali Khan failed to publicly announce this instruction, as he was occupied convincing protest leaders. He said Imran Khan's wife, Bushra Bibi, also allegedly disregarded the directive and insisted on moving the convoy into the Red Zone.

The lawmaker also claimed that Imran was unaware of Bushra's participation in the rally.

He also criticized the decision to announce the November 24 protest through Imran Khan's sister, Aleema Khan, instead of senior party officials like the chairman or secretary general.

Ali Muhammad Khan said he later discussed this mistake with the PTI founder, who acknowledged that the announcement should have come from party leadership.