Differing views: Mufti Saeed to resolve PTI’s intra-party conflicts

Supporters of PTI's Ali Zaidi and Hafeezuddin have been at odds since Ashura

KARACHI: With the local bodies' polls around the corner, the Karachi team of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is busy resolving its intra-party conflicts.

According to party sources, PTI chairperson Imran Khan has given the task to Mufti Saeed, the PTI's official spokesperson for religious affairs, to mediate and resolve the dispute among the Karachi team. He has also asked the Karachi leaders and workers to prepare for the local bodies' poll.

The conflict

The current president of PTI Karachi, Ali Zaidi, was a petitioner in the tribunal of Justice Wajihuddin regarding the intra-party election petitions, which was formed to investigate the intra-party polls of 2013. On his petition, the then PTI Sindh chapter was removed and an interim setup was made, which exists to date. On the report of the tribunal, the then PTI Sindh general secretary, Syed Hafeezuddin, and the provincial organiser, Nadir Laghari, were removed, and Zaidi was appointed president of the Karachi chapter by Imran Khan.

The scenario within the party took an ugly turn on October 24, when the party had set up a sabeel on the route of the Ashura procession, during which the supporters of Zaidi's side shouted slogans in his favour and the supporters of Hafeezuddin shouted in his favour, said party leader Arsalan Ghumman. Since then, the party has remained in the news about growing conflicts within the party.

The central committee of the party has taken notice of these events and is trying to resolve the issues, said party leader Hafeezuddin. Speaking to The Express Tribune, Hafeezuddin confirmed that Mufti Saeed is coming to Karachi, but said he was unaware about the purpose of the visit.

When The Express Tribune contacted Zaidi, he refused to comment.  However, sources within the party confirmed that Mufti Saeed is coming to the city on November 9 to resolve the conflict to prevent it from taking a 'sectarian turn'.

Alliance with JI

Meanwhile, the party also announced on Wednesday its alliance with the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for the upcoming local government elections.

"We have formally announced our alliance for the upcoming local bodies' elections with the PTI, but both the sides are still discussing the possible candidate for mayor of the city," said JI information secretary Zahid Askari.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 6^th, 2015.