Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary-General Salman Akram Raja has withdrawn his resignation, citing internal criticism he faced after the party’s unsuccessful protest.
Initially, Raja had stepped down, fearing that the failure of the protest would be blamed on him. According to party sources, Raja believed the responsibility for the protest’s failure would fall on his shoulders. However, PTI leaders later shifted the blame to the party’s central leadership, prompting Raja to reconsider his resignation.
In a separate development, Mishal Yousafzai, a Special Assistant to the Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (K-P), was dismissed from her position by Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur. The dismissal followed an interview Yousafzai gave to a private television channel, where she defended PTI’s leadership. In her statement, Yousafzai expressed loyalty to the party, emphasizing her long-standing support for Bushra Bibi and her commitment to PTI, including her participation in the D-Chowk protest.
Raja’s initial resignation came after continued internal criticism, particularly regarding his handling of PTI’s recent protests. Reports from Media revealed that Raja faced dissatisfaction from party members, especially over his management of the Lahore protest, where he failed to mobilize enough party workers. Following the incident, Raja became a target of increasing blame within the party for the protest’s failure.
Raja had been appointed PTI Secretary-General after Omar Ayub’s resignation on September 7. Despite the challenges, PTI senior leader Barrister Gohar Ali Khan urged Raja to remain in his position, encouraging him to persevere through the criticism and continue working for the party. “People will continue to criticise, but you must keep working,” Khan said, urging Raja to stay committed.
