In a major shake-up within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), the incarcerated party founder, Imran Khan, has delegated full organisational authority for Punjab to senior leader Aliya Hamza.
According to party sources, the decision was taken during a high-level meeting between Khan and senior party leadership at Adiala Jail on Tuesday. The PTI founder instructed the party chairman, Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, to issue a formal notification confirming Aliya Hamza's new responsibilities.
Sources say Khan expressed complete trust in Aliya Hamza’s leadership, empowering her to suspend or assign responsibilities to any party member within Punjab. “Aliya Hamza is fully authorized to make decisions. If she wants to replace someone or give them a new role, she has my complete support,” the founder reportedly told the meeting.
Also Read: Omer Ayub rules out backchannel deal involving Imran Khan
In the same meeting, Imran Khan also endorsed the recent appointment of Ehsan Toor by PTI Gilgit-Baltistan President Khalid Khurshid.
Lawyers present at the meeting were also seen actively seeking out Aliya Hamza to discuss urgent party matters, sources added.
Protests near Adiala Jail
Meanwhile, tensions flared outside Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi, where PTI workers staged a protest at a police checkpoint in Gorakhpur. The standoff began after authorities allegedly refused to allow the PTI founder’s sisters to meet him.
Several protesters were reportedly temporarily detained, including three sisters and a cousin of the PTI founder. The detained women were initially held on the lawn of a nearby wedding hall under police supervision. Later, they were released and escorted by police from the wedding hall under tight security.
Also Read: Imran’s sisters, PTI workers released after detention outside Adiala Jail
All the women who had been taken into custody were released, along with PTI MNA Shafqat Awan, Sahibzada Hamid Raza and Qasim Khan Niazi, who were also present during the protest. Following their release, the PTI founder’s sisters departed for Gorakhpur via the motorway.
