PTI slams Asad Umar for criticising party chairman’s policy

Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) slams Asad Umar for criticising their chairman’s policy!

PTI on Tuesday came down hard upon Asad Umar, a senior member of the party and former party secretary general, accusing him of being “confused” and “self-serving” after he criticised party chairman Imran Khan for refusing to negotiate with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM).

 

The statement issued by PTI read: “Ambiguity and confusion are evident in Asad Umar’s thoughts; Asad Umar’s claims that he stepped down from the duties of secretary general due to disagreements over the chairman’s strategy appear to contradict reality.”

“If Asad Umar disagreed with the decisions of the chairman of the party and did not think it appropriate to go through with them, he should have parted ways [from PTI],” the statement said, adding that he “remembered to resign” only now that the party is being targeted under a plan.

“His personal interest may be hidden in it, but not the party’s,” the statement added.

“Umar’s claims that the party had refused to negotiate: Umar, as Secretary General, is well aware of the numerous efforts made to discuss national issues with these political parties,” it added.

“Asad Umar himself used to take this position that whenever he tried to talk to these parties, they did not discuss any agenda other than the acquisition of NRO.”

the statement contended that the reason for the fruitless termination of the talks was not PTI but the other side’s reluctance to contest elections for fear of defeat.

The statement maintained that PTI had shown great flexibility within the ambit of the Constitution.

“So Asad Umar can justify his indefensible decision but should avoid ignoring the facts.

If Asad Umar had taken a principled stand and decided to secede before the hard times fell on the party, perhaps there would have been more weight in his words,” the statement concluded.

The statement issued by PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan came hours after Asad Umar told a private news channel that he had quit his party positions over the political strategy adopted by Imran in the aftermath of May 9.

Asad Umar while making an appearance on ARY News show ‘Off the Record’ on Monday night, said that the job of the party’s secretary general was not to give free advice but to implement the strategy that had been decided upon.

Umar said his party’s refusal to negotiate with the PDM was a “big mistake”.

“While PTI is a political reality that polled 16.8 million votes, the PDM made it to parliament with 22.5 million votes,” he said.

Asad Umar— who resigned from the position of the party’s secretary general following the May 9 riots — further remarked that blaming some personalities of an institution was akin to blaming not only that institution but also the entire nation.

“May 9 was a wake-up call, and everyone must take two steps back,” he said.

Asad Umar also expressed reservations about the PTI chairman’s current course of action during the interview.

“I do not agree with the current strategy of the PTI chairman,” he added.

“However, I have no intention of doing politics in any other party except the PTI. The vote bank belongs only to Imran Khan and not any other party leader. If Imran Khan himself decides to be minus, then the party may disappear,” he said.

Umar was of the view that after 1971, Pakistan hadn’t witnessed “such a dangerous time”. He added that the country stood at a pivotal point where it was imperative for all stakeholders and political players to take two steps back.

“You will have to step down from your ideology and compromise to come up with a solution,” Umar said, reiterating that he did not agree with the strategy adopted by Imran.

He further claimed that the PTI’s senior political leadership was ignored during the decision-making.

“We should have taken the election date that the government was giving us,” he said, adding that around 80% of PTI MNAs were against resigning from their seats.