On Friday, the parliamentary party of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) disagreed with PTI’s founding chairman Imran Khan’s decision to accept the resignation of PTI’s secretary general, Omar Ayub. They urged Khan to reconsider and reappoint Ayub.
This demand came within 24 hours of the incarcerated PTI chairman endorsing Ayub’s resignation. Confusion within PTI ranks persists amid reports of internal rifts. While the party announced rallies for Khan’s release, Ayub stepped down to focus on his parliamentary role.
Read more: Omar Ayub Steps Down as PTI Secretary-General
In a meeting at the Parliament House, the Parliamentary Party expressed unanimous confidence in Ayub and resolved that his resignation should not be accepted, urging him to continue as secretary general. They also condemned media reports about a “Forward Bloc,” asserting unity under Imran Khan’s leadership.
Ayub resigned late Thursday night to focus on his opposition leader role. He expressed gratitude to Khan for accepting his resignation via a post on X (formerly Twitter). In a letter, Ayub mentioned he had sent his resignation on June 22, which was conveyed to Khan by Senator Shibli Faraz during a June 27 meeting at Adiala Jail.
Ayub’s resignation came amid reports of PTI rifts, with some PTI-backed Sunni Ittehad Council lawmakers considering resigning from the National Assembly in protest against the party’s leadership. Speculations about a forward bloc arose from reports suggesting that nearly two dozen lawmakers hinted at forming such a bloc due to the leadership’s failure to secure Khan’s release from jail.
Disgruntled lawmakers have conveyed to Khan and Ayub the need for serious efforts to release incarcerated leaders. They claimed some leaders were more focused on higher posts rather than securing the release of Khan and other jailed party members, expressing contentment with the current situation.
