Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday said Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Patron-in-Chief Imran Khan had rejected his resignation as party secretary-general, as he refused to take any firm position on the party’s potential boycott of by-elections.
On Monday, Raja announced he was resigning as party secretary-general over “irreconcilable” differences regarding his responsibilities within the party structure. He said he had requested Khan to relieve him of his duties through attorney Ali Bukhari last week, adding that request was rejected.
“My life is an open book, and I cannot compromise on intellectual and financial integrity,” he wrote on X, without elaborating on the reasons behind his decision. He said that he would continue to provide legal assistance to the party.
While Raja did not provide any details, local media reported his latest resignation decision stemmed from a disagreement between him and Khan’s sister, Aleema, regarding the PTI’s participation in by-elections for seats vacated after the disqualification of PTI leaders convicted in various cases related to the May 9, 2023 riots.
Speaking with media after meeting Khan on Tuesday, Raja said Khan had rejected his resignation. He also said the party’s political committee would convene to deliberate on its involvement in the by-elections, adding there were “clear instructions” from Khan in this regard.
Raja did not share the instructions, but Khan’s sisters Aleema and Uzma told media their brother had reiterated his opposition to the party participating in the by-elections. “He said this would legitimize the ‘Form 47’ government and the PTI would not take part in them,” they said after meeting Khan at Adiala Jail. According to Aleema, the political committee may deliberate on whether or not to participate in the by-polls, but any final decision on the matter will remain with Khan.
The PTI founder’s sisters also said he had instructed all PTI lawmakers to resign from all standing committees of the National Assembly, including those of which the party’s lawmakers are chairpersons.
A day earlier, the party’s parliamentary committee had decided to participate in the by-elections despite Khan’s earlier instructions to the contrary. The decision had prompted criticism from party supporters on social media, who had maintained that the PTI founder’s decision was final and binding.
Also on Tuesday, Raja said the party had not decided to field any new nominees for opposition leaders in the National Assembly and the Senate. The positions are presently lying vacant after the disqualification of Omar Ayub and Shibli Faraz. Raja said the two PTI leaders would exercise all available legal measure to get their disqualifications reversed, adding that any new nominee would only be announced if there were no other option. However, he added, Khan had nominated Mehmood Khan Achakzai for the opposition leader in the National Assembly and Raja Abbas Nasir for opposition leader in the Senate.