Former finance minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar said on Wednesday that only party chief Imran Khan will make the final decision regarding any “solution or advice by a friend”, Aaj News reported.

“I am a worker of Chairman Imran Khan and an office-bearer of the PTI. If any friend wants to suggest any solution or give advice, only Imran Khan will make the final decision,” he said in a tweet.

The statement comes after former PTI leaders Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Mahmood Baqi Moulvi said they had contacted and held talks with the former and present leadership of the party, including Azhar.

The former leaders also said they aimed to find a solution to current crises in the country.

Earlier, Imran Khan’s main lawyer and legal advisor Babar Awan said there was no room or future for any “king’s party“ in the country’s politics.

“Minus Imran [Khan] means minus the people,” Awan said, adding that the nation would not allow the PTI chief to be subtracted from politics and vice versa.

His statement comes a day after Imran Khan said that many of those deserting the party were lobbying for more breakaways.

“From what I understand, they are preparing a king’s party in which those who have left the PTI will be included.”

He said the establishment knows neither the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) nor Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) will be able to form the government.

“They are gathering people to form a sort of coalition. But my question is whether a coalition can steer the country out of this difficult time.”

He said a strong government was not one that has the establishment’s support but one that has the support of the people.

“Only a government that comes with the public mandate can make big decisions, bring reforms and instate the rule of law,” he said while addressing his supporters via video link. He added that the country would not survive without the rule of law.

Imran said all institutions were being used to eliminate his party. He said the “fascist regime” was pushing hard to dismantle PTI. However, they could not break away more than “a few people” despite all their efforts.

“One of the few reasons why only a few people have left the party despite a crackdown is that I have allotted party tickets myself this time … and people have realised that whoever leaves at this juncture, their politics will end,” Imran said.