ISLAMABAD: Following Asad Umar’s criticism of former prime minister Imran Khan’s refusal to negotiate with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM), the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) has swiftly responded, leveling accusations of “confusion” and “self-serving behaviour” against the former secretary general.
Umar expressed his concerns during an interview with ARY News on Monday. He called his party’s decision not to engage in negotiations with the ruling coalition a “big mistake.” Umar highlighted that while the PTI received 16.8 million votes, the parties constituting PDM secured 22.5 million votes in the parliament.
Umar, who resigned as the party’s secretary general after the May 9 protests against Khan’s arrest, emphasized that blaming specific individuals within an institution equates to blaming the entire nation. He urged for reflection and a step back in the aftermath of the wake-up call on May 9.
Late last night, the media department of the opposition party issued a scathing two-page statement on Twitter, countering Umar’s remarks made during an interview where he voiced his concerns regarding Khan’s policies.
سابق سیکرٹری جنرل پاکستان تحریک انصاف اسد عمر کے کاشف عباسی کو آج رات دیے گئے انٹرویو پر سیکرٹری اطلاعات تحریک انصاف رؤوف حسن کا ردعمل pic.twitter.com/cUQzUHgIxq
— PTI (@PTIofficial) June 19, 2023
The statement highlighted what it called “ambiguity and confusion” in Umar’s thoughts, asserting that his claims of stepping down as secretary general due to disagreements over the chairman’s strategy were contradictory to the reality of the situation.
“If Asad Umar disagreed with the decisions of the chairman or the party and believed they were inappropriate, he should have chosen to leave the PTI,” the statement remarked, emphasizing that Umar’s decision to resign now, while the party is under attack, raises suspicions about his personal interests rather than the party’s interests.
