RAWALPINDI: Differences in the Rawalpindi chapter of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have created confusion among the local leaders to launch a mobilisation campaign for the party’s November 30 public meeting in Islamabad.

The PTI planned the campaign in downtown areas of the city from November 15 but could not launch it after the suspension of its 10 office-bearers, including Punjab north president Sadaaqat Abbasi, district president Arif Abbasi and MPA Rashid Hafeez, for beating Imran Khan’s cousin Ahmed Niazi at the sit-in site.

The district office of the PTI invited the workers to a meeting at the party office while the regional office convened a similar meeting in its own office the other day.

“We are confused where to go for the campaign and whether to attend the meeting convened by the acting president or others as it is not clear who is heading the district chapter,” said Mohammad Kamran, a PTI worker from Dhoke Farman Ali.

No door-to-door campaign can be launched ahead of Nov 30 meeting

Waseem Raja from Dhoke Khabba said no door-to-door campaign had been launched in most of the areas due to the differences among the party office-bearers.

Talking to Dawn, acting district president Ijaz Khan Jazi claimed that Imran Khan had appointed him as the district president after the membership of Arif Abbasi was suspended till the inquiry report about the brawl at the sit-in site.

He said being a party worker, his main focus was on the door-to-door campaign in his area to mobilise the people for the November 30 public gathering.

However, PTI Punjab north secretary general Hina Manzoor told Dawn that being the head of the party in the area she had asked senior district vice-president to take over as the acting president till the completion of the inquiry report. She said she had not received instructions from party’s central office and neither the central office issued notification about the appointment of the acting president.

She said Sadaaqat Abbasi was suspended as he was allegedly involved in the brawl.

There were rumours that the party had also suspended the membership of Hina Manzoor for appointing senior vice-presidents as the acting presidents of the region and the district.

When contacted, PTI Punjab president Chaudhry Ijaz said he was not aware of any decision in this regard. He said he attended a meeting on Thursday at the central office but no decision was conveyed to him.

However, Hina Manzoor said she had also heard the rumours but neither received a show-cause notice nor any suspension orders.

She said the PTI Punjab north chapter held a meeting in the Islamabad central office on Thursday to launch the door-to-door campaign.

However, she said the police had started pressuring the citizens against the campaign. “I got reports from Ward-III Haider Road, Saddar, that the police have started collecting data of the PTI workers and also deployed plainclothesmen in front of the party offices,” she added.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2014