ISLAMABAD: Former National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has denied reports suggesting his nomination as the chairman of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Refuting claims that Imran Khan had selected him to replace Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, Qaiser clarified that decisions regarding key party positions, including the secretary general, would be made after consulting the jailed party leader.
The clarification came after reports circulated that Imran Khan had removed Barrister Gohar Ali Khan from the post of party chairman and nominated Asad Qaiser as his replacement. Earlier, PTI leader Barrister Ali Zafar reportedly confirmed the removal of Gohar Ali Khan and Salman Akram Raja as the chairman and secretary general, respectively.
This leadership reshuffle occurred amidst the fallout from PTI’s recent protest in Islamabad. Imran Khan had called for a decisive “do or die” demonstration in the capital, demanding the release of detained party workers and protesting alleged rigging in the February 8 election.
The protest was led by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and Bushra Bibi, Imran Khan’s wife. However, after failed negotiations and government warnings against entering D-Chowk, authorities launched a large-scale operation on November 26 at midnight.
In a joint effort by Islamabad police, Punjab police, and Rangers, hundreds of PTI workers were arrested, and the protest was dispersed. Following the abrupt end of the demonstration, many party workers expressed anger, criticizing PTI leadership for not standing alongside them during the protest.
I am an experienced writer, analyst, and author. My exposure in English journalism spans more than 28 years. In the past, I have been working with daily The Muslim (Lahore Bureau), daily Business Recorder (Lahore/Islamabad Bureaus), Daily Times, Islamabad, daily The Nation (Lahore and Karachi). With daily The Nation, I have served as Resident Editor, Karachi. Since 2009, I have been working as a Freelance Writer/Editor for American organizations.
