RAWALPINDI: A spat between PTI office-bearers and MPAs from Rawalpindi went up a notch after a lawmaker lodged a written complaint with party chief Imran Khan, accusing local leaders of insulting him in his own constituency.

Sources told Dawn that the dispute, which stems from two overlapping youth-based constituency events, revolves around the party’s Youth Wing. Being a young party, the PTI’s Youth Wing is the most energetic segment of the party and is used for mobilisation of support for rallies and public meetings.

All the volunteers and security arrangements are overseen by the youth wing, which one party insider called the PTI’s “political muscle”. Most of the party’s supporters in the Rawalpindi region also belong to the Youth Wing and they are the ones most active on social media as well.

Differences between PP-9 MPA, local leadership come to a head as lawmaker complains to Imran Khan

PTI Youth Wing’s North Punjab President Asif Mehmood had made arrangements to hold a youth convention in the PP-9 constituency on Feb 14, while PTI North General Secretary Zahid Kazmi scheduled a function in the same area on February 13. PP-9 includes parts of the Cantonment from Tench Bhatta to Gulistan Colony, near Ayub Park.

Asif Mehmood, who is the PTI MPA from PP-9, reportedly had a very public argument over the conflicting events with PTI North Punjab President Ghulam Sarwar Khan and General Secretary Zahid Kazmi. Mehmood had asked the North Punjab president to cancel Zahid Kazmi’s youth convention.

However, the regional president did not heed Mr Mehmood’s protestations and, instead, asked him to cancel his own event. Enraged by this “derogatory treatment”, Mr Mehmood postponed his own event, but also lodged a formal complaint with Chairman Imran Khan against the PTI North Punjab president and his secretary general for insulting him in the presence of party workers.

In his letter to the party chairman, Mr Mehmood claimed that both Ghulam Sarwar Khan and Zahid Kazmi insulted him in the presence of party members, including MPA Rashid Hafeez, when he met them resolve the issue of the two conflicting events organised by the party in the same vicinity.

He also accused Zahid Kazmi of making a speech criticising and degrading him at a youth function helkd a few days ago in his own constituency. “I was disgraced in front of my voters and constituents when my party criticised me publicly. I lodged a complaint with Ghulam Sarwar, but he did not take any action,” Mr Mehmood complained.

“In a bid to control the damage done, I arranged for a youth convention on Feb 14, which was to be attended by PTI Central Youth President Ali Bukhari and PTI Punjab Youth President Zubair Niaz and chaired by Ghulam Sarwar. But Zahid Kazmi manipulated the situation and in order to sabotage my event, he organised another youth programme in the same area on Feb 13. I contacted Mr Sarwar to complain, he asked me to meet him. But when I went to meet Mr Sarwar, he and Mr Kazmi both insulted me and used derogatory language in presence of other office bearers,” he wrote, asking the party chief to take necessary action against the accused office bearers over misusing their position and insulting an MPA.

A party divided

A senior PTI leader from Rawalpindi told Dawn that the party had split into two groups. MPAs Arif Abbasi, Rashid Hafeez and Asif Mehmood as well as former North Punjab President Sadaqat Abbasi were at the helm of affairs until the sit-ins. However, a brawl between Imran Khan’s nephew Ahmed Niazi and Sadaqat Abbasi’s supporters cost the latter dearly. Abbasi was sidelined and new office bearers were appointed in the wake of that confrontation.

When contacted, MPA Asif Mehmood said that the dispute was an internal party matter and that he had lodged a written complaint with the party chairman, who would take necessary action.

PTI North Secretary General Zahid Kazmi, however, told Dawn that the two youth events were to be arranged separately by the PTI North Punjab and the Youth Wing. “One function will be held on Feb 13 and the second will be held on Feb 22. We participate in both functions to mobilize the youth,” he said.

He, however, did concede that certain differences had emerged within the party, said that they will not be discussed in the public.

Published in Dawn, February 13th, 2015

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