Akbar S. Babar Confirms Claim About Message From Imran Khan

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding leader Akbar S. Babar has confirmed receiving an alleged message from PTI founder Imran Khan, expressing a desire to reconnect with the party’s early founding members, disgruntled leaders and workers.

Speaking to Geo News, Babar said the message was conveyed to him through a longtime mutual friend of his and Imran Khan, who is also currently in jail.

According to Babar, Imran Khan conveyed that after being released from prison, he would first visit Babar’s residence. He said the PTI founder also expressed a desire to bring together people who had supported the party during its early years but later became estranged or left for various reasons.

Babar said Imran Khan described the party’s early supporters as an asset and his sincere colleagues, adding that the absence of several people who had contributed to the establishment and initial struggle of PTI had always been felt.

Following the alleged message, Babar said he had begun contacting disgruntled founding members and former workers. A four-member committee has also been formed under former PTI Punjab Senior Vice President Rana Sohail. The committee includes former founding leaders Amin Zaki and Faisal Pirzada, as well as ISF founding leader Asif Ahmed.

Babar said the committee had started reaching out to former party colleagues who had become dissatisfied with PTI or separated from it for different reasons.

He claimed that the response from disgruntled and founding members to Imran Khan’s message had been positive.

“Imran Khan and I have never had personal differences; our differences have been political,” Babar said. “If Imran Khan comes to my home, I will warmly welcome him and embrace him.”

Babar stressed that his efforts were not aimed at any individual but at bringing together people who had devoted their time, energy and sacrifices to the establishment and early struggle of PTI.

He said the party’s early members had founded PTI around an ideology and that there was now a need to bring all those people closer again.

He announced that a convention of disgruntled and founding PTI members would also be held in Lahore next month as part of the reconciliation efforts.

Babar said many early party members had distanced themselves from PTI because of individuals seeking power and positions. However, he claimed that Imran Khan’s recent message had received a positive response and accelerated contacts among the party’s early and disgruntled leaders.

He added that further meetings and contacts with important former party leaders were expected in the coming days.