RAWALPINDI, June 13: Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan on Thursday made his first appearance in the garrison city after winning the May 11 elections for the National Assembly seat NA-56.

Mr. Khan received a low profile welcome at the Benazir Bhutto International Airport after getting clearance from doctors to travel from Lahore to Islamabad.

The PTI Chief straight away visited the family of a PTI supporter, Usman Mirza, who had been killed in an election-related clash between PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-N supporters on May 11.

Insiders told Dawn that most people had gathered at Usman Mirza’s house in Satellite Town after they came to know of Imran Khan’s arrival through the electronic media.

However, the five PTI MPAs, including the party’s district president Arif Abbasi, were not present on the occasion, and lack of coordination in the party was cited as the main reason for this.

Some party workers lashed out against the local party leaders for keeping them unaware of the PTI chief’s arrival. “We had planned a warm welcome but local leaders did not inform us which is very strange,” said Mohammad Haroon, a PTI worker in Satellite Town.Mohammad Usman, another party supporter, said the local MPA had not paid attention and the PTI chief should take notice. “The MPAs were not aware of the arrival of the party chief; the electronic media informed the people early morning,” he said.

During his visit to the victim’s house, the PTI Chief said he had decided to retain NA-56 because of the assassination of Usman Mirza. Otherwise, he had decided to retain his hometown seat of Mianwali. Mr Khan had won the general elections from Mianwali (NA-71) and Peshawar (NA-1) in addition to NA-56.

“I will raise the voice of the family in the national assembly and will not sit relaxed until justice is done,” he said, adding that PTI would not leave the family of the PTI workers alone.

He expressed solidarity with the family and said the party would provide political and legislative assistance to the family and help them get justice from the courts.

After spending some time with the aggrieved family, Mr Khan went to his house in Bani Gala where he would rest for a week before taking the national assembly oath on June 20.The PTI spokesman said Imran Khan would take oath on June 20 since doctors had advised him to take rest for at least one week after arriving in Islamabad.

Mr Khan had suffered skull and back injuries on May 7 after falling off a makeshift lift during a public meeting in Lahore. Doctors had advised him to rest until he fully recovered from his injuries.

After remaining at Shaukat Khanam Cancer Hospital for 15 days (May 7 to May 22), he went to his house in Zaman Park in Lahore. Due to his illness, he was unable to take oath of an MNA.

In his absence, Makhdoom Javed Hashmi led the party in the lower house of the parliament. His party had participated in the elections for speaker, deputy speaker and prime minister, but Imran Khan’s absence had been noticed especially by PTI supporters.