News Analysis |
Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) MNA Ayesha Gulalai announced her exit from the party on Tuesday after she hurled some scathing allegations against party chairman Imran Khan and other top party members.
Gulalai took the media by the storm at a time when the lawmakers were in the process of electing Shahid Khaqan Abbassi as the new premier. She cited mistreatment of women in the party. She flayed Khan and the party. The timings of the diatribe are being questioned by pundits who are linking it up with the bid to disqualify Khan under Articles 62 and 63 of the Constitution.
Read more: Is PTI disintegrating?
Gulalai’s presser
The MNA from Waziristan addressed a press conference Tuesday night in which she dismissed her removal being attributed to election ticket and speech in the thanksgiving ceremony. Gulalai said that there had been many rallies during which she had not spoken. “I can do that in the Assembly if I wish,” she claimed.
She said that Benazir Bhutto gave her a ticket each for the provincial and national assembly seat. She expressed shock when according to her Khan used inappropriate words for Ms. Bhutto even after her death.
When asked about the content of the messages, she replied, “No one with any honor will be able to stomach the sort of language used.”
“I was shocked,” she continued. “I saw many of their [PTI members’] misdeeds. One of them is that they send inappropriate text messages. They dishonor respectable women. The respect of women is not intact at the hands of Imran Khan and the men around him,” she alleged.
When asked about the content of the messages, she replied, “No one with any honor will be able to stomach the sort of language used.”
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“He [Khan] tells women to keep BlackBerry phones so that messages are not traced. Check his BlackBerry,” she alleged. “Check the messages from him… The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority can release the record.”
She said that even in his mid 60’s, Khan has not done away with his habits of his youth which he boisterously practiced in England. She showed dismay over the fact that Khan’s proclivities are against Pashtun and Muslim traditions.
She also focused on alleging Chief Minister of KPK, Pervaiz Khattak of Massive corruption and nepotism.
Read more: A moral judgment?
Morality and Khan: N League’s new master plan
Gulalai’s presser emphasized on the moral ills of Imran Khan. A closer analysis of the press conference and its conduct can reveal a nefarious plan.
Gulalai was being constantly instructed to add lines in her speech. In addition, reporters of Khan’s rival in Geo TV are seen to be managing the conference.
According to Articles 62 and 63, she said, if a leader is dishonest he is disqualified. “The article also refers to moral turpitude,” she said. “I request the Supreme Court to consider my statements during the course of the disqualification case against Imran Khan.”
“Such a man should be disqualified. Should such a man be eligible to run the country?” she questioned. Moreover, she called ex-premier a family man and one who had moral values.
Here it must be recalled that the PM was ostensibly disqualified for dishonesty while his mega corruption scams were referred to NAB. Imran, who is also facing a disqualification case, by the looks of things is expected to sail through it.
Read more: Imran celebrates and looks to surge ahead
With little or no strength in corruption arguments against Khan, it is reasonable to assess that N League will use the moral turpitude factor in trying to invoke Articles 62 and 63 in a bid to oust Khan from politics. Gulalai also alluded to it when she said:”Now it is your turn.”
Gulalai was being constantly instructed to add lines in her speech. In addition, reporters of Khan’s rival in Geo TV are seen to be managing the conference.
Talking to media a day after Gulalai accused top PTI leadership of ‘immoral character’, the PML-N leader said Imran Khan must respond to the ‘shameful’ allegations of harassment leveled against him.
PML-N realizes that Khan is a perpetual threat; he has not relented his opposition even after the dismissal of Nawaz Sharif. By all intents and purposes, this looks a minuscule part of a sinister campaign to discredit Khan. It is expected that Imran’s ties with Sita White will be brought to the fore soon; if chatters are to be believed, Reham Khan is also waiting in the wings.
Former lawmaker of the ruling PNL-N Haneef Abbasi called for thorough investigations into the allegations leveled by Ayesha Gulalai against Imran Khan.
Talking to media a day after Gulalai accused top PTI leadership of ‘immoral character’, the PML-N leader said Imran Khan must respond to the ‘shameful’ allegations of harassment leveled against him.
Read more: The Sadiqs and Ameens
‘A grave allegation has been leveled against you (Khan) and you should have been ashamed, but you are not — because, in the society that you come from, these matters are not considered shameful,’ said Abbasi.
‘There should be an investigation, there should be a suo motu, so that the truth can be revealed’ he said.
He said that whenever any allegation was leveled against him, he clarified his position before media but Imran Khan was not ashamed.
‘A grave allegation has been leveled against you (Khan) and you should have been ashamed, but you are not — because, in the society that you come from, these matters are not considered shameful,’ said Abbasi.
‘If these allegations are not investigated, we will believe that justice has died.’ he added.
Read more: The interim prime minister; no stranger to corruption charges
Reactions
After the news of her relinquishment was aired on media, PTI’s leader, Shireen Mazari addressed a presser in which she rebuked the impression of women and their role in the party.
Mazari and PTI leader Asad Umer pointed out to the fact that the Chief whip(Mazari herself), deputy speaker of the KPK Assembly and the candidate for NA 120 are all women.
Mazari said that Gulalai had called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan yesterday evening, along with a delegation, demanding he confirms the party ticket, which, Mazari said, was ‘unacceptable’ as Khan was not allowed to take such decisions in this regard by his own accord. The meeting indeed took place in Bani Gala on Monday, which was confirmed by a senior anchor, Kamran Shahid who was present there to interview Khan.
.@ShireenMazari1 with PTI Women Leaders Press Conference Islamabad (1.08.17) 3/9#PTIEmpowersWomen pic.twitter.com/uDWixqELxJ
— PTI (@PTIofficial) August 1, 2017
Agree with Ayesha G on PTI’s flawed merit system,nepotism&gender discrimination but nt harassment allegations
i_ pic.twitter.com/spCjbH5q1U— S Malaika Raza (@MalaikaSRaza) August 1, 2017
This is the real story why Ayesha Gulalai left PTI. RT this to let every Insafian know pic.twitter.com/pnHg0W6LFl
— Farhan K Virk (@FarhanKVirk) August 1, 2017
PTI workers present at Bani Gala also confirmed the meeting and the demands which Gulalai put forth to Khan to include the ticket for NA-1.
Shahzad Khan’s video , he attended yesterday’s meeting in Banigala : the actual story. 1/2 #PTIEmpowersWomen pic.twitter.com/EDoO0nPZch
— Tehreek-e-Insaf (@InsafPK) August 1, 2017
“As far as allegations that she was restrained from addressing a convention on Monday are concerned, we had limited the speakers. Khan also asked me to address it, but I put Yasmeen Rashid forward. We were not able to provide all aspiring speakers to provide with an opportunity to do so,” said Mazari.
Read more: One Jalsa. Multiple media narratives
Mazari and PTI leader Asad Umer pointed out to the fact that the Chief whip(Mazari herself), deputy speaker of the KPK Assembly and the candidate for NA 120 are all women.
Naz Baloch, who left PTI last month also derided much of the allegations that Gulalai leveled at Khan. Fauzia Kasuri who had some squabbles with Khan in the past also tweeted: “In my 24 years of association with I have found him… unfair YES, but disrespectful NO.”
In my 24 years of association with @ImranKhanPTI , I have found him…
unfair YES, but disrespectful NO.— Fauzia Kasuri (@FauziaKasuri) August 1, 2017
Gulalai’s harassment allegations have been effectively countered; the link with the PML-N is being established because her narrative suggests that she waited for 4 years to speak up. The timings go much to the benefit of Khan’s opponents, albeit her inability to produce evidence will raise question marks on Gulalai.