Monitor on Political Parties' Internal Democracy
October 2016

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) – Party Conventions held in KP and Punjab

KP Ijtima being addressed by JI Chief Senator Siraj-ul-Haq in Naushehra

A two-day convention of the KP chapter of the JI took place from October 22-23, 2016 in Azakhel, Naushehra.¹ As per the official notification by the Jamaat, a record number of male supporters were present along with approximately 50,000 women folk and children at the convention. The JI Chief, Senator Sirajul Haq, JI Secretary General, Mr. Liaqat Baloch, and JI KP Chief Mr. Mushtaq Ahmed Khan addressed the convention.

JI Punjab Ijtima in Lahore

Similarly, a three-day convention of Jamaat Arakeen and Candidates for becoming a Rukan of the Punjab chapter of the JI took place in Lahore from October 28-30, 2016. JI Secretary General, Mr. Liaqat Baloch said that politics of the Punjab is usually in the hands of feudal lords and opportunists and he hoped that the JI convention would be a means of getting rid of these elements. It was also meant to send a message to the Kashmiris that the people of Pakistan and the Punjab were with them and would support them till they got their right of self-determination. On the second day of the convention, a Burhan Muzaffar Wani Shaheed Conference took place at which veteran Kashmiri leader Syed Ali Gilani and other Hurriat leaders addressed the people via telephone. The JI Punjab Chief Mian Maqsood Ahmed was also present on the occasion but details regarding the attendance in numbers of the convention were not shared.

Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam – Fazl (JUI-F) – Party Youth Convention held in Nowshehra

JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman addressing his party’s youth convention in Azakhel

As per media reports, on October 27, 2016, JUI-F’s Youth Convention was held in Nowshehra which was addressed by the JUI-F Chief Mau­lana Fazlur Rehman.² Besides the political statements that he made, no further details, such as the attendance of the convention, were shared.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – Meeting of the CWC takes place after almost 3 years

Prime Minister Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif chairs a meeting of the party's CWC in Islamabad

On October 10, 2016, the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the PML-N met in Islamabad for the first time since the General Election in May 2013. The last time it met with the purpose of authorising tickets to party candidates.

The CWC constituted a five-member election commission under the leadership of Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal, former Deputy Secretary General of the party, in order to conduct intra-party elections, which had already been overdue since July 2015. Other members of the election commission included Mr. Imdad Chandio, Mr. Ali Asghar Jadoon, Mir Afzal and Ms. Najma Hamid. This procedure of constituting the election commission was reportedly carried out in accordance with the party constitution.

The CWC meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and attended by key Ministers of his administration, Central and Provincial office-bearers as well as Azad Jammu and Kashmir Prime Minister Mr. Farooq Haider and Gilgit-Baltistan Chief Minister Mr. Hafeezur Rehman. The date for the meeting of the National Council and intra-party election was also decided.  

As per media reports, the Prime Minister Mr. Muhammad Nawaz Sharif, in his opening remarks, declared that only senior members from each province would be given the chance to speak.³

It should be highlighted here that constitutional requirement for the party’s CWC is to meet every 3 months. According to the party constitution, the CWC is a nominated body by the President from among the members of the Pakistan Muslim League Council and its strength should not be more than 40 members. In 2015, it was reported that there were 76 members that constituted the CWC, out of which the party President nominated 55. The remaining were ex-officio members. It is not clear how many members attended the meeting. The full list of the participants’ names was not shared in the party announcements.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) – Announcement of intra-party election schedule

The first meeting of the PML-N Election Commission took place on October 13, 2016 in Islamabad.⁴ The head of the five-member election commission Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal made the announcement of the party election schedule. He reported to the media that candidates were required to submit nomination papers to the commission by 4:00 pm on October 17, 2016, and may withdraw anytime before the meeting of the National Council, which was to start at 11:00 am at the Jinnah Convention Centre in Islamabad.

On October 18, 2016, PML-N intra-party election of the central office-bearers for the next term took place at the PML-N Convention Centre in Islamabad. According to Article 73 of the party constitution, every office-bearer holds office for a term of three years and in Article 120, it is mentioned that the party will hold election after expiry of 4 years term from the date of previous election at Central/Provincial/Local levels. This ambiguity about the actual term of office has been highlighted earlier as well in PILDAT's Report on Internal Democracy of Major Political Parties of Pakistan, 2015. However, as recent media reports are suggesting, it may be said that the term of elected office bearers in PML-N is 4 years.

The Election Commission received nomination papers on October 17, 2016, but it did not release the final list of candidates. Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal reported to the media that the commission would display the list of candidates after scrutinising them and before the start of the National Council meeting. He also said that they had received only one nomination for many offices and most of the candidates were expected to be elected unopposed.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – Meeting of the Prime Minister's close confidants

On October 17, 2016, Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif held a meeting with his close confidants (Some in the media termed it as his kitchen cabinet) in order to finalise names of new office-bearers who would be elected for the next four-year term.⁵

As per media reports, an official hand out was issued by the Prime Minister’s Office, stating that the “political meeting” was presided over by the Prime Minister himself and was attended by the following persons:

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif addresses National Council of party after being elected unopposed as President of PML-N

On October 18, 2016, around 2,000 members of the PML-N National Council gathered together to elect the party’s central office-bearers.⁶

Prime Minister Muhammad Nawaz Sharif was re-elected unopposed as President of the party. Earlier before his election, Chaudhry Jaffar Iqbal had announced that Prince Abdul Qadir Baloch had submitted nomination papers to contest for the seat of Party President against Mr. Nawaz Sharif, but his papers were rejected, as he was not even a member of the party’s National Council.

As expected, most of the old faces were re-elected as the party’s central office-bearers. Leader of the House in the Senate Raja Zafar-ul-Haq was elected unopposed as Chairman of the PML-N.

Elected Senior Vice Presidents of the party include:

Senator Pervaiz Rashid was elected Secretary Finance while Senator Mushahidullah Khan was elected Secretary Information of the PML-N.⁷

The office of Secretary General remains vacant due to lack of consensus for the key post. The office of the party’s Secretary General has been vacant for almost a year now since Mr. Iqbal Zafar Jhagra was appointed Governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in February 2016.

The National Council members authorised the Party President Muhammad Nawaz Sharif to make nominations for the remaining offices.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) – Intra-party election of PML-N Punjab held 

On October 19, 2016, PML-N held its intra-party election for the Punjab chapter at the Expo Centre in Lahore.⁸ The Chief Minister Punjab Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif was elected unopposed as PML-N Punjab president.⁹ The last intra-party polls for Punjab took place on March 5, 2012, as reported by the PML-N Secretariat.

According to media reports, Punjab Parliamentary Secretary Rana Muhammad Arshad said that more than 1,000 council members of the party elected Mian Muhammad Shahbaz Sharif as PML-N Punjab president and other office-bearers.

Party elections in the remaining provinces (Sindh, Balochistan and KP) have not been reported yet.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – Tussle between MQM-London and MQM-Pakistan continues

On October 2, 2015, Leader of MQM-P Dr. Farooq Sattar announced that his party had elevated him as the MQM’s Convener.¹⁰ In reaction to this declaration, the London office cancelled Dr. Sattar’s basic membership of the party, on grounds of ‘betraying’ the MQM Founder Mr. Altaf Hussain. The London-based leadership also reiterated that all parliamentarians who had won seats in Mr. Altaf Hussain’s party’s name should immediately resign. However, MQM-P continued to ignore these notifications stating that they had already dissociated themselves, since August 23, 2016, from Mr. Altaf Hussain and the London office, which is why these announcements did not hold any value to them.

On October 5, 2016, a video message was released by MQM London office featuring Mr. Altaf Hussain who warned MQM lawmakers that their constituents would ensure their resignations if they did not quit assemblies on his call.¹¹ Nevertheless, the lawmakers did not pay any heed to his call and none of them submitted their resignations.

On October 12, 2016, the MQM-London group announced, through a notification, the cancellation of membership of four senior leaders from MQM-Pakistan:

The notification stated that they were ‘expelled from the party over serious violation of the party’s code of conduct’.¹²

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – New pro-Altaf chapter emerges

Prof. Dr. Hassan Zafar Arif addressing a press conference in Karachi on behalf of the new MQM interim Coordination Committee

On October 14, 2016, the London-based Convener Mr. Nadeem Nusrat announced a 12-member interim Coordination Committee in Pakistan, out of which 3 members are based in London.¹³

Prof. Dr. Hassan Zafar Arif, one of the nine Pakistan-based members of the interim Coordination Committee, and a former faculty member of Karachi University said in a press conference at the Karachi Press Club that there was no entity like MQM-Pakistan or MQM-London but only one MQM, whose leader is Mr. Altaf Hussain. Senior MQM leader Kanwar Khalid Younus and Advocate Sathi Ishaq also accompanied him along with other MQM supporters.

Prof. Dr. Hassan Zafar Arif claimed that they had received resignations from many lawmakers and would reveal them at an appropriate time.

Members of the interim Coordination Committee are:

On October 20, 2016, newly appointed Coordination Committee members along with many loyalists of Mr. Altaf Hussain took to the streets and went to Jinnah Ground to pay their respects at the Yadgar-i-Shuhada in Azizabad to offer Fateha and pay tribute to martyrs of the party.¹⁴ Many MQM workers, including men, women and children, chanted slogans in favour of the party and Mr. Altaf Hussain.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – MQM-P holds intra-party election

On October 30, 2016, MQM-Pakistan dissolved its entire party structure declaring the previous intra-party polls null and void. New intra-party elections were organised on October 31, 2016 at the party's temporary headquarters in PIB Colony, Karachi. The Convener, Deputy convener, Members of Rabita Committee and the Central Executive Council elections took place.

The MQM Pakistan had been in the process of expelling members from the party on grounds of violating party discipline. As per media reports, these included Mr. Zafar Rajpoot, Mr. Rasheed Bhayya, Ms. Fauzia Amir, Ms. Rizwana Aslam, Mr. Abid Ghouri, Mr. Javed Khan, Mr. Zulfiqar Khanzada, Mr. Faheem Mughal, Mr. Farooq Khan, Mr. Fahim Raheel and Mr. Saeed Aziz.

Dr. Farooq Sattar was elected as MQM-Pakistan’s party head and Convener with 11,930 votes while Mr. Amir Khan was elected as Senior Deputy Convener with 11,230.

According to media reports, a total number of 12,623 voters exercised their right to vote out of which 195 votes were rejected.¹⁵

Following were elected as Deputy Convenors:

A total of 35 candidates were elected as Rabita Committee members.

Details regarding the newly elected Central Executive Council were not available.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – Disciplinary Committee constituted

According to media reports of October 5, 2016, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari constituted a disciplinary committee in the party and appointed former Chief Minister Syed Qaim Ali Shah as its head.¹⁶ The disciplinary committee has been formed to investigate misconduct, violation of party decisions and indiscipline in the local government elections of Sindh.

Jam Mehtab Hussain Dehar and Mr. Ijaz Jakhrani are also appointed members of the committee.

The disciplinary committee has been formed in light of reports of violation of party discipline at the local bodies level in Sindh.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)- Joint meeting of the parliamentary parties of PPP

On October 5, 2016,¹⁷ PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari chaired a joint meeting of the parliamentary parties of the PPP of the Senate and National Assembly. The meeting took place in order to review party policy on the joint session of the parliament that was to take place the same day.

Leaders of the Opposition in the Senate, Senator Aitzaz Ahsan and National Assembly, Syed Khursheed Shah along with PPP parliamentarians of both the houses attended the meeting.¹⁸

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP)- Chairman PPP appoints Mr. Nisar Khohru as PPP Sindh President

On October 20, 2016, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari nominated Sindh Senior Minister Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khohru as PPP Sindh President. Earlier, former Chief Minister Sindh Syed Qaim Ali Shah was holding this post.

As per Sindh CM’s Adviser on Information Moula Bux Chandio, the following PPP leaders will support Mr. Nisar Ahmed Khohru in carrying out his presidency of the party’s Sindh Chapter:

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – PTI boycotts joint session of parliament

On October 4, 2016, PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan made a surprising decision on behalf of his party that it would boycott the joint session of parliament due to take place on October 5, 2016.¹⁹ As per his press conference at his Banigala residence, “We have debated on the matter in our party meeting and decided to boycott the session tomorrow (October 5, 2016) because we think Nawaz Sharif has lost the legitimacy to remain the prime minister.”

The joint session of the parliament was being convened on October 5-7, 2016 A PTI delegation led by Shah Mehmood Qureshi had earlier attended an All Parties Conference on October 3, 2016 at the Prime Minister’s House. The details regarding the party meeting that resulted in this policy decision of the party are not known.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – Announcement of Islamabad siege 

PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan and PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi at a party meeting in Islamabad

On October 6, 2016, PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan chaired a meeting of his party at a local hotel in Islamabad.²⁰ He announced to his party workers that they would lay siege in Islamabad on Oct 30, 2016. The purpose behind this siege was to demand the resignation of the Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif or to make him submit to the process of accountability in the backdrop of the Panama Papers leaks.

Details regarding the party meeting are not available except what is reported in the media that he consulted his party workers on how to proceed on his announcement of shutting down Islamabad.

The PTI leadership met again on October 17, 2016 in order to decide a new date for the party’s planned siege of Islamabad.²¹ According to the PTI Vice-Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi, the reason behind change in date was the annual election of the Supreme Court Bar Association scheduled on October 31, 2016. After the party meeting, a new date, November 2, 2016, was announced by the Chairman.

Monitor on Political Parties' Internal Democracy
September 2016

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – MQM celebrates birthday of party founder

On September 18, 2016, the founder and chief of MQM, Mr. Altaf Hussain’s 63rd birthday celebration ceremony took place in London and Canada. It is rather strange that the founder chief, who is still living, his birthday is celebrated every year by various party chapters around the world with much zeal and vigor. While it may not be a new spectacle in Pakistan’s political culture, MQM tends to walk the extra mile in glorifying and expressing its favorability for an individual over a democratic political party system.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – MQM-Pakistan sacks London-based leadership

On August 27, 2016,²² the new head of MQM Pakistan, Dr. Farooq Sattar, declared complete disconnection with Mr. Altaf Hussain and the London office. This took place in response to a countrywide condemnation of the party chief’s anti-state remarks that instigated party activists to attack local media houses in Karachi. Almost a month later, on the occasion of Mr. Altaf Hussain’s birthday celebration ceremony on September 20, 2016 in London, Mr. Nadeem Nusrat, Convener of the MQM Coordination Committee, said that no one could separate the Mohajir community from Mr. Altaf Hussain and that MQM was nothing without him.

MQM's London-based Convenor Mr. Nadeem Nusrat addressing a party gathering in London

Following this statement by Mr. Nadeem Nusrat, the MQM-Pakistan held a meeting of the Rabita Committee, which was chaired by Dr. Farooq Sattar, at the party’s temporary headquarters in Karachi on the same day, September 20, 2016. As a result of this meeting, it was decided to expel London-based Mr. Nadeem Nusrat along with members Mr. Wasay Jalil, Mr. Mustafa Azizabadi and Mr. Qasim Ali Raza.²³ According to media reports, the meeting had also decided that the basic membership of any member or office-bearer would be terminated if they were found involved in any act against the country’s integrity and solidarity.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – MQM-Pakistan dissidence against MQM Chief

On September 21, 2016, the Sindh Assembly unanimously passed a resolution condemning Mr. Altaf Hussain for his controversial speech of August 22, 2016 and the resultant violence in Karachi.²⁴ The resolution also demanded action in accordance with Article 6 of Pakistan’s Constitution (High Treason) against persons who raised anti-Pakistan slogans and caused violence in the country. This resolution was also supported by MQM lawmakers and was read out in the house by MQM Parliamentary Party Leader in the Sindh Assembly Syed Sardar Ahmed.

This was followed by a reaction from the London-based leadership on the same day when it announced the dissolution of the Coordination Committee along with the complete organisational structure of the party.²⁵ London-based Convener Mr. Nadeem Nusrat criticised MQM members of the Sindh Assembly for tabling such a resolution against the party chief. He asked for their resignations and demanded that they contest fresh election in their personal capacity as they had been elected through Mr. Altaf Hussain.

According to media reports, Dr. Farooq Sattar clarified that the MQM-Pakistan lawmakers would not quit their assembly seats. He also said that the Coordination Committee and all other organisational offices of the party would remain operational. However, later on the night of September 21, 2016, MNA Mr. Sufyan Yusuf became the first lawmaker to quit the MQM-Pakistan and announced that he would tender his resignation from the National Assembly.

According to the tweets of Mr. Nadeem Nusrat reported in the media, he said that even though Mr. Altaf Hussain had voluntarily handed over all powers to the Coordination Committee of Pakistan in the greater interest of the party, deleting his name from the party’s constitution was uncalled for and was done in an illegal and dictatorial manner. He said that the Mr. Altaf Hussain’s powers were given to him by his party workers and only a few people could not take away his powers from him. He also clarified that the constitution of the party could only be amended in the presence of the Convener and a full quorum of the Coordination Committee and party workers.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – MQM Convenor to make a new party in Pakistan

In light of the clear split between the London and Pakistan based leadership of the MQM, on September 25, 2016, the London-based Convenor Mr. Nadeem Nusrat has been tasked by MQM Chief Mr. Altaf Hussain to organise a new set-up of the MQM in Pakistan.²⁶ According to media reports, Mr. Nadeem Nusrat has been appointed in-charge of every single affair of the party and tasked to build a pro-Altaf MQM in Karachi. He has been asked to build contacts at all levels in the MQM organisation and form national, Karachi and local structures of the party to give an alternative to MQM-Pakistan now taken over by Dr. Farooq Sattar, Khawaja Izhar and Mr. Faisal Sabzwari. Apparently, and according to party sources, Mr. Nusrat enjoys full trust of the MQM Chief.

Muttahida Quami Movement (MQM) – Karachi mayor renounces his support for London-based MQM Leadership

On September 26, 2016, Karachi’s newly-elected Mayor Mr. Wasim Akhtar announced that his loyalties lay towards the MQM-Pakistan and that he did not need to take dictation from anyone. He sent in a handwritten statement to Dawn Newspaper saying that the MQM was a democratic political party and not a cult and its members could not be used as tools of exploitation. He wrote, “I would like to clarify in unequivocal terms that MQM is Pakistan based and registered as a political party here. It has in categorical terms disassociated itself from London and it neither needs its support nor needs to take dictation from everyone. ²⁷

Only two days before Mr. Waseem Akhtar’s statement from prison, the MQM leadership in London had demanded immediate release of the Karachi mayor so that he may serve Karachi and take up its municipal challenges. Apparently, the rift between the two chapters of the party is so strong that Mr. Waseem Akhtar did not even accept the words of support from the London leadership.

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) – Development schemes requested from candidates

According to a media report published on September 27, 2016, PML-N leaders have been asked to submit development schemes for each constituency without any discrimination as to whether or not they were elected MNAs in the 2013 election.²⁸ Specific forms have been distributed among sitting members in August 2016, in which each PML-N member is required to give his or her priority for development schemes, such as health, water, road infrastructure or other civic issues after surveying their respective constituencies.

A committee had also been formed led by Sheikh Aftab, MNA and Minister of State and retired Captain Mohammad Safdar, MNA to which the party leaders will submit their schemes. It is reported that the Federal Government plans to spend from Rs. 200 million to Rs. 500 million in each constituency for development work.

Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) – Party Reorganisation in South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa nearing finishing line

On September 6, 2016, former Governor of Punjab and PPP leader Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood, who is a member of PPP’s South Punjab Coordination Committee informed the media that party’s organising committee had completed its assigned work regarding the reorganisation of the party in south Punjab.²⁹ The committee was required to recommend at least 3 names for each organisation in the province up to the district level on the basis of political standing, past performance, reputation for integrity and overall acceptability among the workers. Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood informed his party leaders that recommendations had been sent to party Chairman Mr. Bilawal Bhutto Zardari who will now choose the PPP South Punjab office-bearers.

As per official notification on the PPP website, following were members of the South Punjab Coordination Committee³⁰:

However, as per media report published in The News referenced earlier, the South Punjab committee includes:

PPP’s KP Coordination Committee headed by Mr. Rahimdad Khan has also been reported to complete its work regarding recommendations of future office-bearers of the party in KP.³¹

On September 20, 2016, it was reported that the South Punjab chapter of the PPP led by former Prime Minister Mr. Yousuf Raza Gilani had finalised recommendations for the positions of President, General Secretary and Information Secretary in districts of Multan, Bahawalpur and Dera Ghazi Khan divisions.³² Earlier on September 6, 2016, the same was reported by Makhdum Ahmed Mehmood.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) – Meetings of the Jamaat’s Central Consultative Council and Central Working Committee

On September 12, 2016, the Jamaat-i-Islami Amir, Senator Siraj-ul-Haq, summoned a three-day meeting of the Central Consultative body (Shura) in order to review the JI’s ‘Corruption-Free Pakistan’ campaign and the progress on Panama Leaks investigation on September 23, 2016. A meeting of the JI Central Working Committee was also to be held at the JI Head Office at Mansoora in Lahore on Sept 22, 2016.³³

After these meetings of the Jamaat were held, Senator Siraj-ul-Haq addressed the media stating that the JI Shura had reviewed Jamaat’s Corruption Free Pakistan campaign and resolved to continue it till every penny of the stolen wealth was recovered and the thieves were sent behind bars.³⁴ He said that the JI wanted a completely ruthless and transparent accountability in which not only the Prime Minister but he himself would be subjected to ruthless accountability. He announced that the JI would hold conferences against corruption at provincial level and stage a sit-in in Faisalabad on September 30, 2016.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) – Deputy Chiefs appointed

On September 23, 2016, an official notification on the JI website stated that the Amir, Senator Sirajul Haq, in consultation with the JI Central Consultative body (Shura), had nominated Prof. Muhammad Ibrahim Khan and Dr. Farid Ahmed Piracha as Deputy Chiefs of the JI. They took the oath of their new office at the Shura session.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – PTI Founders Group meeting

PTI Founders Group Conference in Islamabad on Sept 4, 2016

On September 4, 2016, the dissident Founders Group of PTI held their first National Consultative Conference with a mandate to free the party from the clutches of “dictators and forces of status quo”.³⁵ The Conference was convened by one of the founding members and former Information Secretary of the party, Mr. Akbar S. Babar, who had filed a petition back in November 2014 with the Election Commission of Pakistan and alleged corruption and violation of laws in collection of donations and management of party funds by party leadership.

The Group called for immediate resignation of KP Chief Minister Mr. Pervaiz Khattak and all PTI ministers for being involved in corruption. The Group also demanded a judicial inquiry into the distribution of development funds in KP and asked the PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan to present himself for accountability before an independent commission comprising impartial party members. Mr. Babar alleged that Mr. Imran Khan as the party chief had failed to enforce fundamental principles of transparency, accountability, and merit in the party affairs. He also said that the Group demanded full implementation of all orders of the PTI Election Tribunal that was formed in 2015 headed by Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed, including the expulsion of Mr. Jahangir Khan Tareen, Mr. Pervaiz Khattak, Mr. Aleem Khan and Mr. Nadir Leghari from the party on charges of corruption.

The Group rejected the appointment of all PTI office bearers that had been made in June 2016 by the party Chairman and demanded restoration of the PTI constitution and immediate restoration of Mr. Tasneem Noorani as Chief Election Commissioner who had resigned in March 2016. Mr. Babar said that a ‘Central Committee’ of the PTI Founders Group and provincial and district levels committees would be formed very soon.

Following are names of some attendees of the conference:

1. Former DG of the KP Ehtesab Commis­sion, Lt. Gen. (R) Hamid Khan
2. Former PTI Punjab Founding President Mr. Saeedullah Khan Niazi - a first cousin of Mr. Imran Khan
3. Former PTI Secretary General Admiral Javed
4. Syed Hassan Shah
5. Khawaja Imtiaz
6. Mr. Mehmood Khan and
7. Former PTI Karachi President Commander Raza Hussain Shah

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – Dissolution of PTI Youth Wing, Women Wing and Labour Wing and resultant resignation of PTI Additional Secretary General

On September 10, 2016, PTI Secretary General Mr. Jahangir Tareen issued a notification announcing the dissolution of the PTI Youth Wing, Women Wing and Labour Wing at the central and provincial levels.³⁶ This decision, the statement added, was made in consultation with the Chairman and the provincial heads of the party with the purpose of harmonising the work of the wings with the mother party. It also stated that these wings would be reorganised once again at the ‘regional’ levels.

On September 18, 2016, the party youth wing announced a revolt against Mr. Jahangir Tareen and said it would start a countrywide campaign against the leader. As per media reports, the party’s wing printed protest banners and posters to display them against Mr. Tareen during the PTI Raiwind protest march that was due to take place on September 30, 2016.³⁷ The party’s Labour Wing had also reacted in the same way and declined to accept any decisions of Mr. Tareen. Later the same day, PTI Additional Secretary General Mr. Saifullah Niazi resigned from his post, reportedly due to differences with PTI leader Mr. Jahangir Tareen.³⁸ Whether his resignation has been accepted or not is still unclear.

Anti-Tareen posters reportedly printed by the dissolved youth wing of PTI; Source: The News

A notification of clarification on September 19, 2016 was issued by the Central Media Department of PTI, that there were no rifts within the party and that the PML-N was creating scandals in the media in order to impact the PTI Raiwind March.³⁹ Mr. Tareen also dispelled the reports of a revolt and said that people who brought these disagreements out in the public were working on the PML-N’s agenda.

Despite these claims, the disputes are apparent as during PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan’s speech announcing the Raiwind March on September 18, 2016, members of the dissolved youth wing raised slogans for its revival. According to media reports, they also submitted a resolution to the chairman’s office in order to seek reversal of the Secretary General’s dissolution order.

It goes without saying that the decision should have been taken after consulting the relevant stakeholders in the party, such as, at least the heads of all the party wings that were dissolved. It is reported in the media that Ms. Munaza Hassan, MNA and Head of the PTI Women Wing, was informed of the decision through a notification without any prior consultation or communication.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – Resignation of Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmed

On September 24, 2016, Justice (r) Wajihuddin Ahmad emailed his resignation (from basic membership of the party) letter to the PTI Chairman.⁴⁰ He is reported to have said that the party has reached a stage where neither he is interested in remaining a part of it, nor is there space left for people like himself. He asserted that the PTI had lost its way and its ideology.

In August 2015, the PTI Chairman had already suspended Justice Wajihuddin’s basic membership for repeatedly violating party discipline by issuing statements to the press. Justice Wajihuddin had served as the PTI Chief Election Commissioner, and had also headed a two-member Election Tribunal for the purpose of investigating complaints of irregularities in the party elections of 2013. As a result of the tribunal proceedings, he had ordered the cancellation of membership of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, Secretary General Jahangir Tareen and a few others, for influencing the outcome of the intra-party elections.

Justice Wajihuddin’s resignation came during a time when party infighting is already going on and PTI’s Additional Secretary General Saifullah Niazi had also resigned from his post earlier in the same month. Since the indefinite postponement of party elections announced in April 2016 by the Chairman, on the pretext of keeping party’s focus on campaigning for an accountability movement against Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, following the Panama papers revelations, it seems that a number of party workers, leaders and parliamentarians are not happy over the way party affairs are being managed.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) - Raiwind March

Before the announcement of the date and strategy of PTI’s Raiwind March, PTI Chairman Mr. Imran Khan summoned a party meeting on September 18, 2016 in Islamabad to which PTI’s central leadership as well as legislators at provincial, regional and district levels were invited to attend.

PTI Chairman addressing party workers convention in Islamabad on September 18, 2016

After the meeting, he addressed a convention of his party workers in which he made important announcements regarding the protest march, terming it, “a historical accountability movement to rid the country of corruption and a corrupt elite who are hell-bent upon maintaining the status quo”.

He also talked about fissures emerging within the party as a result of the dissolution of important wings of the party on September 10, 2016 and called for unity in the party.

References: