Daily Times

In a surprise move, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has reportedly accepted the resignation of Omar Ayub as the party’s secretary general amidst ongoing restructuring and reshuffling within the party on the eve of the long-awaited power show in Islamabad.

Omar Ayub, who also serves as the Leader of Opposition in the National Assembly, submitted his resignation on September 5, citing the overwhelming workload associated with his multiple roles. He expressed his gratitude for the approval and stated that he will continue to contribute to the party as a dedicated member. In his resignation statement, Ayub revealed that he had previously resigned on June 22, but that resignation had not been accepted. He attributed the decision to step down to the demanding nature of his responsibilities, which included managing party affairs, attending court hearings, and handling constitutional matters.

Party sources indicate that Salman Akram Raja has been appointed as the new secretary general, taking over Ayub’s former role. The PTI founder has also restructured the party’s administrative functions, with Omar Ayub and Senator Shibli Faraz leading parliamentary affairs, while Raoof Hassan will head the party’s think tank.

The restructuring aims to streamline the party’s operations and delegate responsibilities more effectively.

The development comes a day before the party scheduled public gathering in the federal capital today, with party leadership and workers busy finalizing preparations.

According to organizers, a large stage is being prepared using dozens of containers for tomorrow’s power show, which will accommodate around 300 people.

PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and other party leaders visited the Sangjani venue to review the preparations for the rally.

Separately, following the Supreme Court’s reinstatement of National Accountability Bureau (NAB) amendments, PTI founder Imran Khan has decided to seek relief from ongoing legal cases.

Imran Khan submitted a plea for acquittal in the NAB court concerning the £190 million reference. The hearing took place at Adiala Jail, presided over by Judge Nasir Javed Rana.

His lawyers said that after the apex court’s restoration of the amendments made to the NAB laws, the £190 million reference against Imran Khan holds no ground since the changes grant immunity to all decisions taken by the cabinet.

Imran’s legal team has requested that his acquittal plea be consolidated with a similar plea filed by Bushra Bibi in the same reference.

They argued that since Bushra Bibi’s acquittal plea is already on record, Imran’s request should be linked to it.

NAB’s legal representatives have opposed Imran’s plea, arguing that the court’s jurisdiction over the reference remains unchanged despite the Supreme Court’s decision.

Meanwhile, Imran has condemned the recent amendments to the National Accountability Bureau (NAB) laws, calling them unconstitutional and a path to destruction.

Speaking from Adiala Jail, where he is being held, he accused the country’s elite of pardoning their own crimes through these amendments while asking the public to make sacrifices.

“These NAB amendments are a disaster and unconstitutional. The elite have forgiven themselves billions of rupees in corruption cases and are now telling the nation to make sacrifices,” said Khan.

Claiming that the amendments allowed powerful figures to escape justice, he accused the ruling class of benefiting from legislation designed to protect them from accountability.

He also noted that, under his government, the NAB had recovered Rs480 billion compared to the Rs290 billion accumulated from 1999 to 2017.

Imran Khan criticised the current performance of the NAB, pointing out that in the last year, it had only recovered Rs15 million.

The PTI leader also called for the NAB to become an independent institution, free from political interference, and expressed his desire for accountability within the bureau itself.

He suggested that the Supreme Judicial Council should oversee the institution to ensure it operates independently. Addressing the current leadership, he responded to the Army Chief’s recent statement about reducing hatred in the country, saying that the country’s establishment should be the ones to take the first step towards easing tensions.