In an increasingly fragmented political landscape, the founder of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) appears to be waging a silent war—not against the state or the opposition—but within the very party he once built from the ground up. In recent days, three notable figures—Ali Amin Gandapur, Azam Swati, and Salman Akram Raja—have been effectively benched, signalling a strategic shift in the founder’s internal game plan. With just one calculated move, the PTI founder has managed to neutralise multiple fronts of dissent and ambition within his own camp.
Behind bars but never truly out of the loop, the PTI founder has begun drawing clear lines of command. His message is unambiguous: no one speaks for the party unless explicitly authorised, and no one acts as an emissary without permission. This repositioning became evident when Azam Swati, who sought to meet with the founder regarding dialogue with state institutions, was instead assigned a vague and non-committal "dialogue task"—a diplomatic deflection more than a mandate.
Barrister Gohar Ali Khan and Faisal Chaudhry, too, found themselves on uncertain ground. While Swati and Gandapur had apparently requested prior permission to engage in dialogue, the founder explicitly denied their request, according to Faisal Chaudhry. During their own meeting, when Gohar and Faisal attempted to clarify the party’s approach to negotiations, the founder neatly sidestepped the discussion altogether, effectively stonewalling any further moves towards reconciliation or political outreach.
In private conversations, Barrister Gohar reportedly shared the rather embarrassing account of how both Swati and Gandapur were told off—what some within the party are now calling a political "shut-up call." The founder has made it clear that no individual is empowered to independently carry out dialogue or negotiation on behalf of PTI. This isn’t just about control; it’s about messaging—both internal and external.
Perhaps the most stunning reprimand, however, was reserved for legal adviser Salman Akram Raja. During a recent interaction, the founder publicly scolded Raja, instructing him to stay within his legal domain. It's a stark warning to all legal and political aides: stay in your lane. Raja, who has attempted to play a more expansive role in recent months, was promptly reminded of his place in the pecking order.
This growing trend of centralisation within PTI is not limited to individuals—it extends to policy matters as well. On the contentious Mines and Minerals Bill, it was the Atif Khan-led group that managed to push its narrative through, once again reflecting that inner-party dynamics are now being influenced by emerging factions that are either in favour with the founder or operating under his tacit approval.
What we are witnessing is not mere reorganisation—it is a purge, a recalibration of loyalty and discipline. The founder, increasingly paranoid and surrounded by concentric circles of distrust, is not just eliminating dissent; he is also creating new hierarchies. Former favourites are being turned into sidelined footnotes, while power is being concentrated in the hands of a select few deemed unwaveringly loyal.
In doing so, the PTI founder is playing a dangerous game. Internal divisions, once kept under wraps, are now bleeding into public discourse. The party that once presented a united front is now riddled with fault lines—each growing deeper by the day. While some may call this internal discipline, others might rightly question whether it’s the beginning of PTI’s self-destruction.
After all, when dialogue is discouraged, leaders are humiliated, and decisions are centralised in the hands of a single man, what remains is not a political party—but a personal cult.