ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Hammad Azhar, who is in hiding, on Thursday announced his resignation as party’s Punjab region president, citing internal lobbying as a key reason.
In a message on X, he said “unfortunately, I no longer have access to Imran Khan. I did not hold any press conference, nor did I make any deal.”
He continued that his movements have been heavily restricted, which has made it simply impossible for him to visit Adiala Jail to have a glimpse of his beloved leader Imran Khan.
He expressed dissatisfaction with decisions made within the Punjab organisation, saying he was neither consulted nor agreed to them.
“Many decisions were based on lobbying and limited access to Imran Khan, with one-sided information being provided to him,” he regretted.
Azhar pointed out ongoing lobbying to replace Lahore President Chaudhry Asghar, saying “today, they succeeded by providing Khan Sahib with misleading facts.”
He defended Asghar, saying his only fault was being imprisoned for two months, winning elections from Nawaz Sharif’s constituency with Form 45, and being elected Lahore president three months ago.
“I can confidently say that the work Asghar did and the way he led from the front in three months was unprecedented for any Lahore president,” he added.
Azhar highlighted several instances of injustice and wrong decisions made without Khan’s knowledge, adding, “In this situation, it is impossible for me to compromise on merit as Punjab president.”
He recalled resigning earlier for similar reasons, citing lack of access to the party chairman as a major hindrance to leadership.
“Major organisational responsibilities should only be held by those who have access to the party leader so that they can communicate the full story to him,” he concluded.
He announced he is stepping down from his role as Punjab president but reaffirmed his loyalty to the party, saying, “I was, and will remain, a worker of Imran Khan, God willing.”
Azhar has been in hiding since May 9 mayhem and he seldom makes public appearance, which alerts the police especially Punjab and ICT Police to chase as he is wanted in several cases registered against him in different cities of Punjab and Islamabad.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2024