ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan has ruled out any changes to the party’s organisational structure in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa until provincial president Junaid Akbar returns, saying the existing arrangements will remain in place in the meantime.
Speaking to the media at Parliament House in Islamabad, Barrister Gohar said Junaid Akbar would continue as PTI’s KP president and clarified that the party’s organisational decisions were being taken in accordance with the directions of party founder Imran Khan.
He added that, in the provincial president’s absence, senior vice-president Noorul Haq Qadri would chair meetings in accordance with the party’s constitution, while General Secretary Ali Asghar Khan would oversee other organisational matters. A formal notification clarifying the arrangements was expected to be issued either that day or the following day.
Sohail Afridi to remain KP chief minister
Barrister Gohar also reaffirmed his support for Sohail Afridi, saying he would remain Khyber Pakhtunkhwa’s chief minister.
“Sohail Afridi is our chief minister, and, God willing, he will continue in the position,” he said, stressing that no decision concerning Khyber Pakhtunkhwa could be made without Imran Khan’s approval.
The PTI chairman said the notification appointing Junaid Akbar as the party’s provincial president had been issued on Imran Khan’s instructions.
Gohar defends PTI lawmakers
Commenting on internal party matters, Barrister Gohar urged caution in reporting statements and said information should be verified before being published. He also said a recent tweet by the party’s secretary general had been taken out of context.
Expressing confidence in PTI’s elected representatives, he praised the party’s members of the National Assembly and provincial assemblies, particularly those from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, for demonstrating leadership over the past two years.
He said PTI lawmakers had actively participated in rallies, public gatherings and marches and had consistently stood by Imran Khan.
“We are proud of our MPAs from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. They are a source of pride for the party’s founder,” he said, adding that the party’s elected representatives had remained steadfast in the past and would continue to do so.
Barrister Gohar said a formal notification outlining the arrangements would be issued either that day or the following day, reiterating that decisions concerning the party and its Khyber Pakhtunkhwa organisation would be made in accordance with Imran Khan’s directions.
