The News: ""Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf May Bagawat""

Resentment seems to be on rise in the party ranks against the media cell of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf (PTI) and a group of the party members wants immediate dissolution of the media cell just like other wings to ensure that workers chose members through party polls.

According to sources, a group within the party seems to be greatly displeased over the way the media wing of the party is handling the affairs at a time when its responsibility is very high keeping in view very limited time left in the upcoming elections.

Insiders in the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf stated that feeling of resentment against Information secretary of the of party, Shafqat Mehmood, was on a high and most of the members, who claim to stand by the party in the time of crisis, were unhappy with the way the new media team of Imran Khan was working.

A group within the party believes that since the nomination of Shafqat Mehmood as the new information secretary, the party has failed to maintain its popularity graph as he and his team seemed to be unable to defend the party at TV shows and in other parts of the media.

Similarly, some of the people in the party hold the view that previous media wing of party was somehow working quite well and had a good liaison with media persons but, since the new team had assumed charge, the situation had turned against the party.

Besides, some party members also accused the new media team, particularly its head, of promoting groupings in the party which was causing a division and, resultantly, weakening the party position in public.

Javed Badr, one of the Pakistan Tehreek e Insaaf workers, in a statement also leveled similar allegations against the information secretary of the party, Shafqat Mehmood.

Javed Badr who, according to sources, is a member of a group of a senior provincial leader of the party and close confidant of Imran Khan for last many years demanded the party chairman to immediately dissolve the wing like other wings so that people could elect people of their own choice in the party polls expected soon.

Javed Badr went on to say that, under Shafqat Mehmood, the popularity graph of the party was constantly declining and his attitude towards media persons during the recent Waziristan march was also quite apathetic, which had invoked serious criticism against the party.

He said that, rather than relying on Shafqat Mehmood whose affiliation with the party was not very long, some party loyalists should be made media coordinator and this wing should be dissolved immediately like other chapters of the party.

“Elections should also be held in media cells,” demanded Javed Badr.

The central media cell of the party, however, came up with a different story and stated that persons, like Javed Badr, had nothing to do with media office as he was fraudulently posing himself as ‘media coordinator.’

According to a press release issued here by the media cell, Badr “had not been appointed as media coordinator and (he) was fraudulently issuing statements on the behalf of party”.

Shafqat Mehmood, central information secretary of the party, while talking to The News, said that the said person had ‘doubtful activities’ and he was not considered for any post in the media cell of the party. He stated that allegations leveled by him had neither any worth nor any base.

Resentment against PTI media cell increases - thenews.com.pk