The rift between the PTI and TTAP deepens after the latter declined a formal invitation to attend a rally on April 19, laying bare internal divisions within the PTI, with rival factions trading accusations of unilateral action and government appeasement. Party sources and a TTAP official say Mehmood Khan Achakzai refused to attend the April 19 rally, citing two concerns: that a rally in KP would be pointless and that TTAP was not consulted before the announcement. According to sources, on Tuesday, PTI KP leader Atif Khan first contacted TTAP spokesperson Akhunzada Hussain and then contacted TTAP leader Mehmood Khan Achakzai to get an announcement about their participation in the April 19 rally in Mardan. A senior PTI leader and a key office official confirmed to The Express PK Press Club on Wednesday evening that Achakzai had refused to attend the rally, adding that the TTAP chief’s decision to skip the PTI event was justified, noting that it was the third time the opposition alliance had been sidelined in major decisions. From the training of Imran Khan "Liberation Force" Upon the announcement of the April 9 rally and then the April 19 rally, the PTI KP leadership took every decision without consulting the TTAP leadership, which the PTI was required to do, as per the orders of the party founder. He said the party supports TTAP, calling its objection valid, and added that KP’s young leaders tend to act unilaterally. He said Salman Akram Raja’s outburst following a question on Aleema Khan’s remarks highlighted growing divisions within the PTI. He said these KP members have limited political understanding but see themselves as political figures in the manner of Aristotle. He said Shahid Khattak’s remarks reported by the media against the TTAP leadership, in which he allegedly claimed that the PTI would deprive Mehmood Khan Achakzai and Allama Nasir of their positions and powers, reflected a superficial understanding of the alliance’s politics. "From now on, pygmies like Shahid Khattak will decide how the PTI works," he joked. Another PTI official said objections to the central leadership were justified, alleging that it was running the party as per state expectations without getting relief for Imran Khan, who was reportedly on the verge of losing sight in one eye. He added that the main criticism was directed at lawyer Gohar Ali Khan and Salman Akram Raja. "They have no policy or direction and have failed to create leverage for negotiations. On the other hand, KP CM Sohail Afridi and his team are trying to put pressure on the government to initiate talks."
Another leader said the KP chief minister and her team were aligned with Aleema Khan and she was kept in the loop on major decisions. He added that this group views the central leadership as lenient and unwilling to take a hard line with the state. When contacted, PTI central spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram said there were differences of opinion within the party on certain issues. Regarding the TTAP, he said he had been informed that the group had reservations about the upcoming rally, adding that the PTI would soon convene a meeting to resolve the issues. TTAP spokesperson Hussain confirmed the alliance had not been consulted ahead of the Mardan rally. However, he said he was not aware of the outcome of the talks between Atif Khan and Achakzai.
