PTI’s sharp differences, Bushra Bibi held responsible for protest failure
Following the failure of the protest in Islamabad, differences emerged in the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), with leaders blaming Bushra Bibi for the failure of the protest.
Reliable sources aware of the behind-the-scenes efforts to peacefully end the PTI’s protest march have said that the stubbornness of former first lady Bushra Bibi, along with practical and technical obstacles, thwarted PTI’s last-ditch efforts to resolve the protest march peacefully instead of taking it to D-Chowk.
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister’s Assistant and Spokesperson Barrister Muhammad Ali Saif has confirmed that efforts had been started since Monday night to convince the PTI leadership to stay away from Islamabad and head to Sangjani, located on the outskirts of the capital.
He also confirmed that the party chairman had agreed to convey this message to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur.
He says, “Khan Sahib was extremely angry and resentful about the treatment he was being given in the jail cell, but after much discussion on the Islamabad High Court’s decision, he reluctantly agreed to stop the march outside the city limits.”
Barrister Saif said, “Imran Khan said he would leave the decision to the party leaders on what to do, provided there were concrete negotiations with the government that would result in his release and the cases against him and other party leaders, including Dr. Yasmin Rashid and Mian Mahmood Rashid and others, be withdrawn.”
A source familiar with the efforts said that many attempts were made to reach a compromise, including an attempt to arrange a telephone call between the jailed Bani Chairman and Ali Amin Gandapur. There were signal problems but the message was delivered.
Barrister Saif told Dawn that “by the time attempts were made to re-establish contact with Ali Amin and others, the rally had already entered Islamabad, by which time it was too late.”
Sources said that Bushra Bibi’s behavior was aggressive, she refused to listen to Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and demanded that the party chairman speak to him directly through video call, but this was not possible due to technical and other issues.
Sources said that initially Bushra Bibi was supposed to stay in Peshawar but the situation changed completely when she suddenly decided to board a truck and lead the protest herself.
Sources said that matters became more complicated with Bushra Bibi’s decision to lead the march, the workers were extremely excited and were not listening to Ali Amin.
According to inside sources, Bushra Bibi was making all the decisions and Ali Amin was irrelevant. Sources said that the situation became more tense when a vehicle crushed the Rangers personnel.
According to sources, Barrister Saif blamed Bushra Bibi for going to D-Chowk to protest. The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Information Advisor claimed that the administration had suggested a rally in the outskirts of Islamabad, to which the PTI founder had expressed willingness, but Bushra Bibi said that she would go to D-Chowk.
Shaukat Yousafzai accused Ali Amin Gandapur of making him a scapegoat and claimed that everyone had agreed to go to Sangjani, but Bushra Bibi did not.
He said that no leader was seen from Peshawar to Islamabad, and asked whether Salman Akram Raja was the secretary, where was he? When the founder said Sangjani, why did he go to D-Chowk?
Sher Afzal Marwat claimed that he and Ali Amin Gandapur were not in favor of going to D-Chowk to protest. He said that Ali Amin wanted the workers not to go beyond Kulsoom Hospital, but the PTI workers were adamant about going to D-Chowk. He asked what treatment they could have for the bullets.
