London [UK], April 17 : Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has claimed that the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has been divided into multiple factions, suggesting that the Imran Khan-founded party is deeply fragmented and struggling to maintain unity, ARY News reported.
He made these remarks after his meeting with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif in London. Speaking to reporters, Asif stated that half of PTI's lawmakers in the assemblies have become symbolic allies and now Imran Khan is forced to search for loyalists to support him.
Khawaja Asif asserted that power would not be handed over to Imran Khan even if he apologised. He accused the PTI founder of committing serious offences against the state and stressed that he must face the music, ARY News reported.
He said that Nawaz Sharif travelled to London for health reasons as he is undergoing regular treatment, and their meeting included personal discussions.
Responding to a query about Pakistan's governance model, Khawaja Asif admitted that the nation has a hybrid system, where political parties and the establishment must work in partnership for the country to progress.
Earlier on Wednesday, Pakistan's Minister for Information and Broadcasting, Attaullah Tarar, contended that there was infighting in PTI as the party was divided into two factions - Imran Khan's sister Aleema Khan's group and his wife Bushra Bibi's group, Geo News reported.
"I really don't know which faction of the PTI was stopping another from meeting him [Imran Khan]," he further said.
Tarar's remarks came after several PTI leaders blamed each other for preventing them from meeting with Khan at Rawalpindi's Adiala jail.
Earlier, a controversy over meeting Imran Khan erupted again on Tuesday as PTI chairman Gohar Ali Khan said that the party granted permission to "only two leaders" for the meeting according to their list. However, "five leaders met the PTI founder today," Geo News reported.
Gohar Ali Khan criticised the jail authorities for not allowing Imran Khan to meet his family members. He said, "We condemn you for not allowing Khan's sisters to meet him."
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