Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader Hammad Azhar, on Thursday, stepped down as president of PTI’s Punjab chapter, citing limited access to former prime minister Imran Khan, who is currently imprisoned.
Azhar explained that he is unable to communicate with Khan which has led him to resign.
This is not the first time Azhar has resigned from a leadership role within PTI. In March, he resigned from his positions as general secretary and acting president of the Punjab chapter due to legal challenges that hindered his duties.
However, the party had previously rejected his resignation and urged him to continue.
Despite being wanted by the police in connection to over 50 cases, Azhar made a public appearance on Wednesday, leading a PTI motorcycle rally in Lahore.
The next day, he took to social media to explain his decision to step down, citing a lack of communication with Khan and dissatisfaction with recent organizational changes in the Punjab chapter.
https://x.com/Hammad_Azhar/status/1824070914918555837
Azhar criticized the party’s internal lobbying and decision-making, stating that many choices were made without his input and were based on limited information reaching Khan.
He particularly noted the replacement of PTI Lahore President Chaudhry Asghar, a move he believed was influenced by internal lobbying rather than merit.
Expressing frustration, Azhar said he could not in good conscience continue in his role when decisions were being made without proper consultation or access to the party leader.
He added that such circumstances allowed vested interests to exploit the situation. Azhar emphasized that leadership roles should be given to those with direct access to Khan, to ensure clear communication and alignment with the party’s vision.
In a separate message, Azhar clarified that he was never interested in holding a party position and had only accepted the role due to pressure from the leadership.
He stated his intention to continue supporting PTI without holding any official position, believing that this was the best course of action in the current situation.
Azhar also highlighted issues of group divisions and communication within the party, urging Khan to address these concerns by engaging more with key leaders like Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz.
He warned that the misuse of access to Khan could have detrimental effects on the party if not corrected.
