Hashim Dogar on Tuesday resigned as the home minister of Punjab province, citing “personal reasons,” while offering assurances that he will continue to serve Chief Minister Parvez Elahi and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan.
“I feel regretted to inform you that I shall not be able to continue [as home minister] due to my personal commitments and some health issues,” read the handwritten resignation letter, which was released on social media. However, immediately after the resignation was made public, rumors started circulating that it had been a result of backlash from within the PTI, many members of which have been criticizing Dogar for “being soft” in his dealings with workers of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz).
According to local media, PTI leaders had criticized the ex-home minister for allowing the passage of hundreds of containers to Islamabad to block the party’s planned long march. Earlier, they had slammed him for saying no state resources would be used for the long march, and that police would only offer security to protesters. Dogar’s alleged failure in “punishing” police and bureaucrats who the PTI accuses of hampering its May long march has also been cited as a reason for the PTI leadership being dissatisfied with his performance. Sources said Khan had personally called out Dogar for his “failures” in multiple meetings in the past few weeks.
Dogar had also attracted controversy earlier this year when he denied that PTI leader Shahbaz Gill had been tortured while in custody of police, contradicting Khan, who has repeatedly claimed that Gill was sexually abused in detention.
A retired colonel, the former home minister was being viewed with suspicion within the PTI following Khan’s ramping up of his anti-Army rhetoric. Many leaders, per sources, believed he would attempt to hamper their upcoming long march and needed to be sidelined to ensure its success.