Pakistan: Ex-National Assembly member Hamad Azhar resigns as PTI Punjab President

Islamabad [Pakistan], August 16 : Hamad Azhar, the President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Punjab chapter, and a former member of the National Assembly announced his resignation on Thursday, ARY News reported.
Azhar, citing his dissatisfaction with the lack of access he had to the party founder, Imran Khan announced his resignation on social media platform X, adding that the Punjab province lacks participation in organisational decisions.
He disclosed that his developing dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that many of these decisions were influenced more by lobbying than by merit.
Azhar stressed that he hadn't held a press conference or struck any agreements for his departure in spite of these obstacles, according to ARY News.
He also spoke about the limitations on his mobility, saying that he is not "allowed" to meet the PTI founder while incarcerated in Adiala.
He further clarified that while he has resigned from the Presidency, he will continue to remain committed to PTI as an activist, continuing his support for the party's cause.
The political landscape in Pakistan has seen various ups and downs in recent times as the country's two major parties, PTI, and PML-N, continue to remain involved in a perennial battle of power.
Imran Khan's party, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, alone has witnessed the exit of several party members, and the founder, former Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan blames Shehbaz Sharif-led coalition government for it, for his ouster, till date, and thereby the political instability in the nation.
The arrest of former Director General of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed has come as another blow to Tehreek-e-Insaf, landing the party in yet another controversy.
However, Imran Khan, has labelled the arrest of Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed, as an internal military issue, distancing his party from the controversy, as reported by The Express Tribune.
While speaking to the media after a meeting with senior lawyers at Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi on Tuesday this week, Imran Khan's legal representative, Intezar Panjutha, said that the PTI chief had called for peaceful protests that night for the sake of freedom, emphasizing the importance of demonstrations for the country.
Regarding ISI DG Faiz's arrest, Panjutha quoted the PTI chief as saying that it was purely a military matter with no connection to the party. He further clarified that there had been no political connection between Khan and Gen Faiz, alleging that former army chief General Qamar Javed Bajwa had replaced Gen Faiz following a deal with Nawaz Sharif, The Express Tribune reported.
Khan also suggested that if there was a connection between Faiz's arrest and the events of May 9, it would be an appropriate time to set up a judicial commission and bring the CCTV footage from that day to light, Panjutha pointed out, as reported by The Express Tribune.
Lt-Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was detained by the military, and court-martial proceedings were initiated against him on charges of corruption, misuse of authority, and violating the Pakistan Army Act, as announced by Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) on Monday.
Gen (retd) Faiz Hameed was known to be a close associate of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. He was appointed as the head of ISI during Khan's tenure.
The ISI chief is considered the second most powerful military officer in Pakistan after the head of the army.