Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has retained Junaid Akbar Khan, who has been missing since the imposition of governor's rule in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, as the party's provincial president, ruling out any organisational changes. In a notification shared on his X account, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan clarified that Akbar would continue to serve as the party's provincial president.
"In his absence, Senator Noor-ul-Haq Qadri will preside over party meetings and perform his duties in accordance with the constitution, while PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan will oversee all organisational matters," the notification read. The notification came after a public spat between the Imran Khan-founded party's Secretary General Salman Akram Raja and former chief minister Ali Amin Gandapur over the provincial leadership.
The notification clarified that no changes of any kind will be made to the party's current organisational structure till further order. In a recent statement, Raja had alleged that "undemocratic decision-makers" were attempting to undermine internal consensus within the party.
He had referred to a "narrative" being built that 68 members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly were preparing to announce a provincial president and a candidate for the next chief minister without the approval of PTI founder Imran Khan and the party's Political Committee.
Raja had also said that the group had cut off contact with Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and his team in the final days of the protest, potentially paving the way for "state coercion," an emergency and governor's rule in the province.
Raja had urged party members not to accept what he described as a conspiratorial narrative until investigations had been completed. Responding to Raja's references to "undemocratic decision-makers" and an alleged conspiracy involving a group of lawmakers, Gandapur had challenged him to identify those he was accusing.
"First, make it clear who these people are," he said, questioning which lawmakers were allegedly seeking to decide the provincial president or nominate the next chief minister without the approval of Imran Khan or the party's Political Committee. "This party belongs to Imran Khan.
We do not need loyalty certificates from anyone, nor does anyone have the authority to pass judgements on our political loyalty or hand us certificates of treason," Gandapur had said. The internal friction highlights the challenges faced by the party as it navigates legal and political pressures in the province.
With the leadership structure now reaffirmed, the party aims to project a unified front to its supporters and the public. Observers note that the resolution of this dispute is critical for the party's stability in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, where it holds a significant mandate.
The party leadership remains focused on maintaining its organizational integrity amidst ongoing political volatility.