Once active on Twitter, these PTI leaders are silent

With the recent wave of arrests targeting Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) workers and leaders, several prominent figures from different provinces have publicly announced their resignation from the party. Notably, the majority of those who have departed hail from the Punjab province, coinciding with a higher number of arrests in the region, according to a report by Urdu News.

However, amid the turmoil, there is a significant group of leaders who have chosen to remain silent, despite not being subjected to arrest or legal actions. This list includes PTI President Parvez Elahi, Pervez Khattak, former Chief Minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Mahmood Khan, former Chief Minister of Punjab Usman Buzdar, Shibli Faraz, Shah Farman, Atif Khan, Senator Faisal Javed, Murad Saeed, and Zartaj Gul Wazir. Shafqat Mehmood, Taimur Jhagra, and Farrukh Habib have also maintained a low profile, although reports of Shafqat Mehmood’s meeting with Imran Khan at Zaman Park on Monday have emerged. Farrukh Habib’s activities seem to be limited to Twitter.

In contrast, arrests of PTI leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have been relatively minimal, with most leaders currently in hiding. According to a senior journalist from Peshawar, some key leaders from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are presently in Lahore, while others are frequently shifting their locations within their native areas.

Currently, there is a lack of transparency regarding the identities and locations of the arrested PTI workers and leaders, with the police withholding this information. Distressed families are resorting to approaching courts and filing petitions to obtain details about the cases against their loved ones and their whereabouts.

Meanwhile, the government has been running advertisements in newspapers and on TV channels, featuring pictures and videos of individuals accused of inciting violence and engaging in arson during the May 9 and 10 riots.

Leaders Abroad: Speculation and Uncertainty Rumors are circulating about the alleged departure of some PTI leaders abroad, although these claims have not been officially confirmed. Two significant PTI figures, Zulfi Bukhari and Shahbaz Gill, are already out of the country. Shahbaz Gill recently addressed a PTI protest in the United States, while Zulfi Bukhari has maintained intermittent Twitter activity but has not been seen participating in any demonstrations.

Silence or Concealment of Active Leaders? The aftermath of Imran Khan’s arrest has evolved into a significant challenge to the survival of his party. While Imran Khan continues to express his views through social media and interviews with foreign media, the key leaders who typically amplify his message on the ground have either been detained or chosen to remain silent.

In addition to the arrests and the prevailing silence, sporadic press conferences are being held, during which PTI-affiliated leaders announce their departure from the party, further adding to the upheaval within Tehreek-e-Insaf.