In the aftermath of the controversial arrest of PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the violence that followed, more than twenty influential leaders, including key members of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), distanced themselves from the party and its chief. They strongly criticized the ongoing aggressive crackdown, which they say has caused a major exodus from the party.
The party led by Imran Khan suffered a double blow when one of his close aides, Fawad Chaudhry, distanced himself from the PTI, and another prominent leader, Asad Umar, resigned from his post in the left.
However, Umar made it clear that he has no intention of leaving the PTI, which is currently struggling to recover from the aftermath of the May 9 attacks.
Amid this exodus, social media has been filled with speculation that President Dr Arif Alvi may step down as Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s fortunes crumble like a house of cards.
Although social media users referred to informed sources for this important development, President Alvi made no official statement and no PTI leader provided his comments on the matter.
According to social media users, Alvi made strenuous efforts to reconcile the relationship between Imran Khan and the army, but unfortunately his attempts proved unsuccessful. Some people have claimed that given the current state of the PTI, Alvi’s moral authority to serve as the country’s commander-in-chief has been compromised.
President Alvi recently called for a review of Pakistan’s national priorities to help the country overcome its growing socio-economic and political challenges. He said it is the responsibility of all institutions to focus on addressing the major challenges facing the country, including poverty, economic development and population growth.