ISLAMABAD: In a move that signals fresh upheaval within the embattled party, jailed Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founding chairman Imran Khan is planning to replace chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan with the more combative Junaid Akbar Khan, party insiders said on Thursday.
Well-placed sources within the party told Business Recorder that following the unceremonious removal of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Ali Amin Gandapur, the central leadership is now under Khan’s microscope.
Barrister Gohar, once seen as a loyal steward of the party during turbulent times, is reportedly facing the axe for what some within PTI allege is his “overly conciliatory” posture towards the military establishment.
“The winds have shifted,” one senior party member said on condition of anonymity. “Imran Khan wants fighters, not fence-sitters. First Gandapur, now Gohar – the message is clear.”
Insiders claim that Junaid Akbar – known for his fiery rhetoric and unwavering loyalty to Imran Khan – is being considered to lead the party into its next phase of confrontation, both on the streets and in the courts.
The rumoured purge doesn’t stop there as PTI’s Central Information Secretary Sheikh WaqasAkram is also on the way out, with the controversial and media-savvy Rauf Hassan being tipped as his likely successor.
However, Barrister Gohar has dismissed the swirling reports as “baseless rumours,” insisting that he remains firmly at the party’s helm.
“This is being done by those who believe they have a numerical majority,” Gohar said in a strikingly candid statement.
“Let me make it absolutely clear – even if I resign, the party would cease to exist. There would be no legitimate head of PTI, and the Supreme Court’s rulings make that position unambiguous.”
In a veiled rebuke of Khan’s decision-making style, Gohar admitted he was not consulted on the recent change in KP’s leadership, describing it as a unilateral decision by the PTI founder.
“There is no forward bloc in PTI. The new Chief Minister Sohail Afridi was directly nominated by Imran Khan. We urge the Governor to accept the resignation of Gandapur so that a peaceful transition can take place.”
Despite his public reassurances, Gohar’s tone hinted at deepening cracks within the party’s inner circle, as Khan – even from behind bars – continues to call the shots, sidelining those who appear too moderate for the party’s increasingly aggressive posture.
Copyright Business Recorder, 2025