The PTI has apparently split into a faction after a group of party’s union chairmen from Karachi expressed their disappointment at not being given a hearing or an opportunity to present their case when their party membership was revoked.

The decision was announced Assad Aman, Imran Palwani, Salahuddin, Sanobar Farhan, and other officials in a press conference on Monday. The media talk was centered on the cancellation of show cause notices and the removal of basic membership.

When Bilal Ghafoor was the PTI’s president, they claimed that it was decided that they would not align with the Jamaat-e-Islami. Later, Aftab Siddiqui came and a meeting was held where it was reiterated that they would not go with the JI. Imran Ismail and Khurram Sher Zaman also shared the same position that they could not join forces with the religious party.

They condemned the events of May 9 and praised the Pakistan Army. They wondered why they were being given “such treatment”. The PTI leaders attributed the whole issue of show cause notices to Hafiz Naeem and JI.

They further highlighted that the PTI union chairman was not elected from east or central, as opposed to the seats that the Pakistan Peoples Party has acquired. The PTI leaders from Karachi pointed out that the same number of seats has been taken by JI, which led to the cancellation of their membership.

They clarified that their party members could not secure the seats due to some “circumstances”, adding that those seats were taken by JI from the PTI. They claimed that they approached Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, who was opposite Murtaza Wahab in the mayoral election, and requested him to have their two vice-chairmen vote for them, as they had the majority in the assembly.

They also stated that both vice-chairmen of Mominabad Town cast their votes in favour of the PPP, but unfortunately, the PPP’s vice-chairman comes from there. They assured their chairman that they were loyal to him in the past and would remain loyal to him in the future.

They mentioned that they have 35 chairmen of PTI with them at the moment. They expressed their disappointment that their leader was not informed about the facts and accused the opposing party of trying to take away their towns and UCs instead of working with them.

They requested the party chairman to reconsider the cancellation of their membership. They pointed out that there was a budget session in the assembly after 30 days, and not a single MPA was present there. They blamed the poor conditions on the chairman.

The PTI leaders emphasised that “in good and bad times, they were with the chairman” of PTI. They stated that they would sit in the opposition and work for their UCs.

After the local government elections, they said that Ghafoor was the president of the party, and it was decided in the deputy presidents’ meeting that they should not go with JI. They requested the party chairman to reconsider the cancellation of their membership.

They added by stating 35 chairmen of the city council were with them. They asserted that they “were not creating any forward blocks” and they were with the PTI and would remain so. They held the PPP and MQM responsible for the destruction of Karachi.