FOR some time the Kaptaan has been rearranging his field. This week he publicly, and painfully, admitted to an adoring Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) crowd in Lahore that the reason was the reverses the party suffered in its recent political battles. Imran Khan lamented at a reception that PTI workers threw for him that party’s city chapter was divided in five factions.

“With this kind of division within our ranks, I don’t think PTI needs any opposition from the ruling PML-N to defeat us,” he told the workers, recalling how the infighting resulted in PTI’s humiliating drubbing at the hands of PML-N in recently held cantonment boards elections.

Party officials tried to burnish his pain as “the beauty of democracy” within the PTI, but intra-party wrangling permeate the party at all levels, a fact which worries the Kaptaan - and fuels his fighting spirit at the same time.

Since it is the age of image more than ideals, the adroit cricket hero-turned politician started rearranging his field with the PTI’s media section, which was no exception to the damaging bickering in the party. In the new scheme of things, Naeemul Haq, has been installed information secretary as chief mouthpiece for the party. For many in the PTI the change was long overdue, and reflected in the decreased visibility of the flamboyant Dr Shireen Mazari in the media.

And Mr Haq, who succeeded her as PTI’s chief spokesperson in the last week of May, is seen making extra effort to develop good rapport with the media corps. One aspect of his job he seems really focusing upon is to remain accessible to beat reporters all the time.

A former banker, who came close to Imran Khan in London during his cricket playing days, Mr Haq cut his political teeth with Tehrik-i-Istiqlal. But as a founding member of the PTI he has stood by Imran Khan through thick and thin, starting as chief staff officer to the chairman, handling all his personal and political affairs.

Though, after the reshuffle, Dr Shireen Mazari alone can speak on behalf of PTI chairman, when required, for all practical purposes Mr Haq is the new face of the PTI in the media.

However, the firebrand Dr Mazari has not eclipsed forever. She might even be heard more as she has been assigned the role of chief whip of the PTI in the National Assembly. Dr Arif Alvi who had that role before her, has been designated chief organizer of the party in Sindh.

Several PTI leaders told Dawn in background discussions that Dr Mazari, unfortunately, couldn’t create space for herself, both within the PTI and the media, as chief spokesperson for the party. “Every second person who matters in the top leadership was unhappy with her performance,” remarked one PTI official while others merely expressed “reservations” about her performance or complained about “her inability” to project them in the media.

Still others explained that since the PTI, unlike other political parties, has huge presence on social media, “All mainstream PTI leaders want to have their regular coverage, which makes the job of information secretary really challenging,” intoned one off the record.

This lust for publicity is reflected in the fact that many senior party leaders have their own focal persons who keep them “active on social media” round-the-clock.

There are others in the PTI who argue that Dr Mazari’s habit of picking sides inside the party led Imran Khan to change her portfolio. According to more than one personal accounts shared with Dawn, it was Dr Mazari who earlier this year successfully managed removal of Omar Cheema as spokesperson for the PTI chairman within days of his appointment, and wrested the charge which she held additionally to that of information secretary.

Other issues which contributed towards her displacement from the office of information secretary was her unavailability to media. On many occasions, media persons complained to Imran Khan that she did not take their calls, although Dr Mazari claimed she always responds to text messages.

A senior PTI leader confirmed to Dawn receiving such complaints. “With 24/7 media coverage, the task for the information secretary has become very, very challenging – one that demands to be pro-active in real time.”

However, people close to Dr Mazari feel that having been actively associated with media for considerable time, and with her experience of think tanks, no body suited better than her to handle the media, notably explaining party positions on complex policy making decisions. She fell a victim to what PTI Chief himself had expressed on occasions that the party is suffering from a kind of internecine strife, a supporter of Dr Mazari argued.

Welcome Mr Haq to the hard task of keeping everyone happy in the mad mad world of image building!

Published in Dawn, July 3rd, 2015

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