PTI leadership 'contacts' Fawad Chaudhry

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) senior leadership contacted former Federal Minister Fawad Chaudhry amid talks for his and others’ return to the party, ARY News reported citing sources.

The PTI leadership asked Fawad Chaudhry to refrain from criticizing them, the sources said.

They added that the PTI leadership and Fawad Chaudhry discussed the country’s political situation, with a focus on the need for unity among opposition parties in the current scenario.

The sources said that the PTI leaders also agreed that it is essential to work together to achieve their goals.

“Fawad Chaudhry’s positive suggestions were welcomed by the senior leadership,” the sources privy to the development said.

They added that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur and former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser are in contact with Fawad Chaudhry.

Separately, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan denied any contact with Fawad Chaudhry. He said that the decision to take back those who left the party will be taken by PTI founder.

“In a meeting on Monday, the PTI founder said that he will take the decision (regarding those who left the party) after his release,” Barrister Gohar Ali Khan said.

Earlier, PTI Information Secretary Raoof Hasan asserted that Fawad Chaudhry, Imran Ismail, and Ali Zaidi were expelled from the party after the directives of the party founder.

Fawad Chaudhry expressed his eagerness to rejoin PTI, asserting that he never intended to leave the party.

In a statement, he expressed concern over the Junaid Akbar’s resignation from the party stating, “A valuable person Junaid Akbar resigned from the party which, and senior politicians like Parvaiz Elahi, Shah Mehmood, and Asad Qaisar can potentially stand the party on its feet”.

He strongly criticised the current leadership of PTI, stating that “There is not a 1 percent chance that the current party leadership can ‘bring PTI founder out of jail’ as they are lack of political strategy and capacity,”