Rifts within the army of lawyers employed by the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) went public on Wednesday after one of its counsels, Sher Afzal Khan Marwat, accused party spokesman Shoaib Shaheen of being a “traitor, prompting a swift rebuttal.
In a posting on X, formerly Twitter, Marwat—a prominent member of the PTI’s legal team—recalled that he had already revealed the presence of “traitors” within the party’s team. “I am now clearly declaring that the only traitor in PTI’s legal team is Shoaib Shaheen advocate,” he wrote, claiming the former president of the Islamabad High Court Bar Association had “mysteriously” emerged in April and joined the legal committee meeting in Bani Gala.
“He had never been part of the ILF [Insaf Lawyers’ Forum] or PTI before and his access to Bani Gala reflected that he had the support of some in our ranks,” he continued, adding that Shaheen had no experience with criminal law and was “posing” as the PTI chief’s lawyer. Alleging that Shaheen was supported by “powerful secret forces” of the PTI, he questioned how the advocate continued to speak for the PTI on broadcast media when the rest of the party had been “blacklisted.”
Marwat went on to claim that Shaheen was “irrelevant” for Khan’s legal team but had attended almost all its meeting. “Soon I realized that our legal strategy was already known to the state attorneys,” he said, accusing the advocate of “leaking” the information to the “agriculture department”—a reference to the establishment—and even threatening him. “Before 2023, he always boasted of his connections with [intelligence] agencies, and it was common knowledge in the Islamabad bar,” he wrote, alleging Shaheen had started to plot against him in collusion with “other traitors.”
Accusing Shaheen of damaging the PTI’s legal battle, he added that he felt it was his duty to inform PTI workers about the lawyer. He said he would also inform Khan of his posting when he met him next.
In response, Shaheen—who has been designated one of the PTI’s official spokespersons by the party’s core committee—told local media that Marwat’s remarks reflected his personal views. “A person who creates divisions within the party cannot be from the PTI,” he told Geo News.
The PTI also issued a separate statement rebutting Marwat, reiterating that his remarks reflected his personal views and not the official party position. “Shoaib Shaheen advocate is a key member of PTI chief Imran Khan’s approved legal team; part of the core committee; and is authorized to interpret the position of [PTI] on legal and political issues,” it wrote on X.
“Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf appreciates the services of all the members of the legal team, including Shoaib Shaheen advocate, for the movement and pays tribute to their determination and independence,” it added.
Marwat then issued a response to the PTI’s rebuttal, lamenting the party’s failure to acknowledge his legal services for the party. Questioning what “achievements” Shaheen had rendered for Khan and the PTI, Marwat claimed he had been “attacked” and “threatened” but had remained committed to the party, filing 250 constitutional petitions, 600 bail petitions and about 800 others for various members of the party.