The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has found itself embroiled in controversy following the last-minute decision to postpone its planned rally in Tarnol, originally scheduled for August 22. The abrupt cancellation has sparked discontent within the party ranks, with several leaders questioning the process by which the decision was made.
PTI leaders Gohar Ali Khan and Azam Swati, speaking outside Adiala Jail on Thursday, claimed that the decision to delay the rally was made at the behest of party founder Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned in Adiala. According to the two leaders, Khan suggested postponing the gathering to respect the Khatm-i-Nabuwwat (PBUH) demonstrations scheduled for the same day. They asserted that they had met with Imran Khan early that morning, and it was during this meeting that the decision was taken.
However, this version of events has been met with skepticism by several party members, including Imran Khan’s sister, Aleema Khan. In an audio recording that surfaced on Thursday and was widely circulated on social media, Aleema Khan expressed doubts about whether her brother had indeed sanctioned the postponement. She alleged that the decision was made by certain party leaders acting on behalf of the establishment, without consulting Imran Khan.
The controversy has revealed underlying tensions within PTI, with some members accusing the party leadership of mismanagement and poor coordination. A senior PTI leader, speaking on condition of anonymity, told Dawn that the decision to cancel the rally was actually made during a meeting of party leaders in Peshawar on Wednesday night. The meeting was convened after the federal government revoked the no-objection certificate (NOC) for the event. According to the source, the party leadership, including Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, decided to cancel the gathering in light of the lack of official permission.
The sudden postponement has also caused confusion and frustration among party workers. Many PTI supporters had already begun traveling to Islamabad for the rally, only to be informed that the event was no longer taking place. Videos circulating online showed KP CM Gandapur addressing disappointed PTI workers in Swabi, where he attempted to mollify the crowd by distributing money among them.
In Swabi, the decision to delay the rally has been met with anger. Some party supporters viewed the move as a sign of weakness and a failure to assert PTI’s presence in the capital. The situation escalated when PTI supporters briefly blocked the Peshawar-Islamabad Motorway in protest after learning that party leader Sher Afzal Marwat had been detained by the police. Marwat was later released, but the incident highlighted the growing dissatisfaction among the party’s base.