Fractures are emerging within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party following the recent arrest of its chairman, Imran Khan. Despite reports of tensions and infighting, top leaders Omer Ayub Khan and Shah Mahmood Qureshi have vehemently denied these claims, stating that “no one can replace Imran Khan.”
Sources had previously indicated that PTI leaders resorted to calling each other “traitors” during a recent meeting. These sources also suggested that PTI’s core committee, the party’s highest decision-making body, had split into two opposing groups, each accusing the other of betrayal and leaking sensitive information from their meetings.
The rift reportedly escalated to the point where some members believed that critical issues could no longer be discussed within the core committee. One PTI leader even mentioned during a meeting that he would reveal the identity of the alleged traitor if PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub and Senator Shibli Faraz permitted it.
PTI leader Sher Afzal Khan Marwat has also alleged the presence of traitors within the core committee and Imran Khan’s legal team. According to Marwat, these traitors jeopardized his life by leaking recordings of core committee meetings to opponents and the media. He expressed concerns for his safety, stating that he had gone underground and informed the party about those chasing him.
Omar Ayub also denounced the reports as “totally fabricated” and reiterated Imran Khan’s position as Chairman of PTI. He insisted that decision-making occurred through consensus and within the framework established by Imran Khan himself, denying any arguments or groups within PTI’s core committee.