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Confusion and internal discord have surfaced within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ranks on Sunday after Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur unexpectedly introduced a new 90-day timeline for what he called a "final push" in the party's protest movement--previously expected to culminate on August 5, the second anniversary of Imran Khan's imprisonment, the Dawn reported.
As per Dawn, Gandapur, during a press conference to formally outline PTI's protest strategy, claimed that the campaign had already begun and would reach its peak in 90 days. His remarks caught many of his fellow party leaders off guard and left party supporters unclear whether the original August 5 protest had been postponed or altered. While Gandapur didn't confirm a specific date, he reiterated under media questioning that PTI's plan was still to escalate the protest by August 5, using "political means", as reported by Dawn. He added that the next three months would be critical in deciding the party's political future. "The protest campaign had started last night and would reach its crescendo in 90 days for a final showdown... We have to decide within 90 days whether we should even do politics in this country... if [political means] do not lead to a result, then we will let you know about our plan of action that will come forward," he said as quoted by Dawn. His comments raised concerns about PTI's direction, with Gandapur declaring a "do or die" situation, suggesting conventional politics had become meaningless under current circumstances. Adding to the internal tensions, PTI Punjab chief organiser Aliya Hamza Malik was notably absent from the event, while party secretary general Salman Akram Raja said she was "busy", as reported by the Dawn. Malik later questioned Raja in a post on X, sarcastically stating, "What strategy has been announced for the release of Imran Khan, how and where the protest campaign will begin? Who replaced the Aug 5 plan with 90 days?... I myself do not know where I was busy for the past two days," she stated as quoted by Dawn. Malik also criticised the lack of clarity on the strategy for Imran Khan's release and challenged the shift from an August 5 deadline to a 90-day timeline. Her comments echoed frustrations from several PTI workers, who were left wondering if the August 5 plan had been quietly scrapped. Some also voiced disappointment over the leadership's failure to present a concrete roadmap, even with just weeks remaining before the anticipated protest date, the Dawn reported. (ANI)
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