ISLAMABAD Until his release from prison, Imran Khan, the founder of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), has prevented politicians who had left the party from returning, according to sources who spoke to Geo News.
Many PTI leaders announced their resignation from the party during the May 9, 2023, violent protests, citing their fiery remarks and attacks on state installations as reasons for the crackdown.
A few months later, ahead of the elections scheduled for February 8, there were rumors that some disgruntled members wanted to re-join the PTI, but the party’s leadership flatly refused accepting anyone back.
The sources further stated that a seven-member committee has been established by the former prime minister to determine the future of the PTI leaders’ admittance back into the party.
The sources claimed that Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, Shehryar Afridi, Barrister Gohar, and Shibli Faraz will be on the committee, which will be chaired by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi.
They stated that the PTI founder would receive a final list of names from the body and make a judgment regarding them.
Shandana Gulzar would report on the PTI women’s cases and the leaders’ reasons for leaving the party, they added in the interim.