Senior leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Shafi Jan, has openly raised his voice against his own leadership by severely criticizing the party’s strikes and protest politics.
Addressing a meeting of PTI workers, Shafi Jan’s harsh and bitter remarks exposed the ongoing differences within the party.
During the meeting, addressing the party’s senior leaders, Shafi Jan said, “Do not teach us from under the blanket on social media by tweeting where to strike.”
He said that decisions disconnected from ground realities are causing further harm to the workers.
Questioning the utility of protest politics, he said, “Is Imran Khan imprisoned at some checkpoint that we need to go there to protest? Many protests have been carried out in the past, what was their benefit? There was no benefit.”
According to Shafi Jan, repeated strikes and closures neither benefited the party nor resolved the workers’ issues.
Shafi Jan openly challenged the party leadership, saying, “If we really want to move forward, then come out of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa; politics cannot run by limiting it to just one province.” He said that making Khyber Pakhtunkhwa a testing ground every time is not a wise strategy.
He further said, “Do not teach us who is compromised and who is not.” According to him, the politics of labeling within the party has divided the workers. Shafi Jan sarcastically said, “We will close [shops] at such-and-such place, we will close, so what will happen? We had closed before, the result is in front of everyone.”
The PTI leader also alleged that some elements inside the party are working on someone else’s specific agenda while remaining within the party. He said, “We know very well whose agenda they are working on, so do not tell us what to do.”
Shafi Jan clarified that the main focus of party workers should be on the February 8 strike. He said, “Our focus is the February 8 strike; we have to follow Achakzai’s call, this responsibility has been given to them by Imran Khan himself.”
It is noteworthy that Shafi Jan’s statements clearly express the growing restlessness within PTI, the frustration of its workers, and their exhaustion with protest politics.
Analysts say that if the party leadership ignores ground realities and internal voices, PTI may face further internal shocks.
These statements came at a time when PTI’s nationwide strike and protest calls have already proven ineffective at the public level, and this criticism from within the party is being seen as a serious warning for the leadership.
Also read: PTI’s protest fails to gain momentum across the country
