RAWALPINDI: Confusion prevails in the ranks of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) Rawalpindi as two MPAs are claiming to be the president of the party’s district chapter.

If the intra-party elections are anything to go by, Arif Abbasi holds the office. But if one looks at the recent verbal orders issued by Imran Khan, then Ijaz Khan Jazi is the head of the party in the district.

But both MPA Ijaz Khan Jazi and MPA Arif Abbasi claimed that they were holding the seat.

Mr Abbasi’s membership was suspended on November 11 after a brawl between PTI workers form Rawalpindi and Imran Khan’s cousin Ahmed Niazi at the Azadi container outside Parliament House on November 10.

However, the party restored the membership of four office-bearers, including Arif Abbasi, on December 9 and asked him to resume the charge.

Ejaz Khan Jazi says he has been appointed acting district president by Imran himself

After this, the group led by Ijaz Khan Jazi met Imran Khan at Banni Gala on Wednesday evening and got verbal orders for the MPA to work as the acting district president.

But this created confusion among the party workers and local leaders who are now facing problems to mobilise people to participate in the sit-in outside the Parliament House.

“The party should issue a notification about the appointment of the acting president and ask the other group to work under his leadership,” said a senior leader of the PTI, who requested not to be named.

He said the PTI Punjab north general secretary, Hina Manzoor, had already resigned from the party. “Ms Manzoor appointed senior vice-president Chaudhry Zubair to replace the district president during Arif Abbasi’s suspension but party chairman appointed Ijaz Khan Jazi as the acting president,” he said.

When contacted, Ijaz Khan Jazi said Imran Khan had appointed him as the acting district president despite the restoration of Arif Abbasi’s membership.

“I am the district president and will work till the next orders of the party chairman. The workers have accepted the decision of the party chairman and are working under my leadership,” he said.

On the other hand, MPA Abbasi told Dawn: “I am the district president and after the restoration of my membership by additional general secretary Saifullah Khan Niazi, I have assumed the charge of the district president.”

He quoted the notification as stating: “On the instruction of the chairman, the suspension of the members/office holders is reversed with immediate effect.”

He said he was the founding member of the party and if Imran Khan directed him to leave the office I would quit. “But at the moment, I am the elected president of party’s Rawalpindi chapter,” he said.

When contacted, PTI senior vice-president Amir Kiani admitted that the party had reversed the suspension orders of four office-bearers, including Arif Abbasi. On the other hand, he also admitted that Imran Khan had met with the other group from Rawalpindi.

When asked if the party chairman had appointed any acting president, he said the party can name anyone as the acting president till the intra-party elections.

Published in Dawn, December 12th, 2014