PTI Senator Mishal Yousafzai Says Imran Khan Will Not Be Sidelined in the Name of Party Discipline

ISLAMABAD:Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Senator Mishal Yousafzai has vowed that party discipline will not be used as a pretext to sideline jailed party founder Imran Khan, accusing certain party leaders of prioritising their positions over ensuring access to the former prime minister.
In a statement on social media platform X, Yousafzai said the PTI parliamentary party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa was facing a major challenge because the party’s political committee had not provided it with a clear strategy or contingency plans.
She alleged that demands for a fact-finding committee to investigate the events surrounding the long march were being suppressed in the name of party discipline. She also accused certain social media accounts of promoting a paid narrative through posts and video commentaries.
Yousafzai further criticised some party leaders, alleging that they had failed to protect their electoral mandate in Punjab but were seeking to maintain their influence in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa for personal interests.
She claimed that these leaders were refusing to accept the legitimate demands of PTI members of the provincial assembly, who wanted the party to clarify whether it would pursue resistance or negotiations.
According to Yousafzai, if negotiations take place, a representative elected by the entire parliamentary party should be included.
She accused certain individuals of focusing on retaining their positions rather than securing access to Imran Khan.
“We will not allow Khan Sahib to be sidelined in the name of party discipline,” she said, calling on those responsible to find a way to ensure access to the PTI founder or relinquish their positions.
She also expressed hope that the party would remain protected from what she described as internal conspiracies and jealousy, reiterating her opposition to any move to sideline Imran Khan.
### Salman Akram Raja Rejects Allegations Against PTI Leaders
Meanwhile, PTI Secretary General Salman Akram Raja said the party’s internal unity was facing what he described as an attack by undemocratic decision-makers.
Raja said a narrative was being circulated that 68 PTI members of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly intended to make decisions as a separate group, including selecting a chief minister without the approval of Imran Khan and the party’s political committee.
He added that allegations were also being made that the group had cut off contact with Sohail Afridi and his team in the final days and had helped create conditions for government pressure, an emergency and governor’s rule.
Raja urged party members not to accept such allegations until a proper investigation had been completed.
He clarified that Junaid Akbar remained the PTI president in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, saying he had been appointed directly by Imran Khan. In Akbar’s absence, Ali Asghar Khan was serving as acting provincial president, he added.
Raja also maintained that Sohail Afridi continued to be the chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under the law and the Constitution.
He expressed confidence that those spreading what he described as misleading narratives would ultimately be defeated.
The contrasting statements highlight growing tensions within PTI over internal decision-making, the party’s strategy in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and efforts to maintain direct access to its incarcerated founder, Imran Khan.