PTI faces Punjab leadership vacuum
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chief Organiser for Punjab Aliya Hamza Malik was arrested on Thursday, police sources said.
Officials said the leader was taken into custody from Lahore.
Malik, a key figure in PTI's Punjab structure, had been sentenced to 10 years in prison in cases linked to the May 9 riots - a series of violent protests that have since remained a major point of political and legal contention in the country.
Her arrest comes at a critical juncture for the party, which is already grappling with internal uncertainty over plans to launch a post-Eid movement for the release of its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.
Party sources said the Punjab chapter is struggling to finalise a mobilisation strategy, with concerns over how to activate workers amid what insiders describe as a fragmented and largely inactive organisational structure.
"The provincial set-up is not fully functional at the moment," a party insider said, requesting anonymity. "There are serious concerns about how targets set by the central leadership can be met under these circumstances."
The situation has been complicated by the absence of key office-bearers. According to party sources, Malik and other senior leaders in Punjab have either gone into hiding or are facing legal constraints, while communication gaps persist within district-level leadership.
Following the arrest, the PTI began consultations to appoint a new chief organiser for Punjab. Party leaders, parliamentarians and members of the central leadership are preparing recommendations, though no final decision has been made.
It remains unclear whether the new appointment will be permanent or on an interim basis. However, there is growing consensus within the party that the replacement must be a senior and experienced worker capable of reuniting the organisation.
"There is a need for clarity in authority and direction," a party official said. "The next chief organiser must have the capacity to bring the party back into a cohesive structure."
Party insiders indicated that preference would likely be given to long-standing and loyal workers rather than new entrants, as part of efforts to rebuild internal cohesion and restore confidence among grassroots supporters.
The arrest and subsequent leadership uncertainty highlight the broader challenges facing the PTI in Punjab, where the party is attempting to regain momentum amid ongoing legal pressures and organisational setbacks.
Meanwhile, Punjab Information and Culture Minister Azma Bokhari hit out at a recent event broadcast via PTI's social media platforms, alleging a conspiracy to strip Pakistan of its GSP Plus statusa trade preference crucial to the national economy.
"Since the GSP Plus status was granted, Pakistan's exports have surged by 40%, significantly boosting the textile sector and creating thousands of jobs," she told media persons.
She said that while the PTI founder was allowed a 30-minute Eid call with his sons, his own tenure was marked by the arrest of daughters in front of their fathers and the filing of fabricated drug cases against political opponents.
"Pakistan is now at the center stage of global diplomacy our foreign policy is reaching new heights, which has clearly rattled Indian authorities," she added.
The minister emphasised that the state's actions are strictly legal and transparent, intended only to protect the law and the public. She dismissed allegations of rights violations as baseless, asserting that those who used citizens as "fuel" for chaos on May 9 are now facing the consequences of their actions.