ISLAMABAD: Divisions have emerged within the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) as three senators continue to retain their Senate committee positions despite clear instructions from incarcerated party founder Imran Khan to step down.
On Friday, senior PTI leader and lawyer Senator Hamid Khan resigned from five committees, including those on Kashmir Affairs, Law and Justice, and Commerce, in line with the party’s parliamentary boycott. In his resignation letter to the Senate Secretariat, he also criticised the 26th Constitutional Amendment, claiming it undermined judicial independence and weakened the rule of law.
With his move, 18 of PTI’s 21 senators have now quit committee posts. However, Senators Saifullah Abro, Faisal Saleem Rehman, and Gurdeep Singh remain in their positions, sparking questions about unity within the party. Efforts to contact the three were unsuccessful.
According to insiders, Abro’s hesitation is linked to alleged business interests tied to his committee chairmanship. Party members also accuse Senator Rehman of having previously supported the controversial 26th Amendment. Singh, meanwhile, is said to be delaying due to personal commitments, though sources suggest he may resign soon.
Separately, newly elected Senator Murad Saeed has yet to take oath.
Observers warn the defiance could damage PTI’s political narrative. “When the leadership is incarcerated and urging collective action, even limited resistance risks weakening the party’s image,” a former PTI senator said.
PTI’s parliamentary leader in the Senate, Barrister Ali Zafar, and party spokesperson Sheikh Waqas Akram were unavailable for comment.
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