Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has announced a significant leadership change within the party. Salman Akram Raja has been appointed as the new Secretary General of PTI, succeeding Omar Ayub. This decision comes after Imran Khan, the party’s founder, accepted Ayub’s resignation, which was submitted on September 4.
PTI leader Hammad Azhar congratulated Raja on his new role via social media, expressing confidence in Raja’s ability to excel in his new position. “Congratulations to Salman Akram Raja. I have no doubt that he will also perform brilliantly,” Azhar stated.
In his resignation announcement, Ayub shared that he had requested Senator Shibli Faraz to deliver his resignation letter to Imran Khan during a meeting on Thursday. Ayub cited the heavy workload of balancing multiple roles—Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, Secretary General of PTI, legal battles, and constituency issues—as the reason for his decision to step down. Despite his resignation from the Secretary General role, Ayub affirmed his commitment to continue working as a PTI worker.
In a notable restructuring move, Khan has reportedly separated the party’s parliamentary and practical political affairs. Omar Ayub and Senator Shibli Faraz are expected to lead the parliamentary team, while a think tank under Raoof Hassan will manage the release of a white paper on government performance and electoral matters. Notifications regarding these changes are anticipated to be issued following a forthcoming party rally.
Recent months have seen internal dissent within the party, with leaders like Shahryar Afridi, Shandana Gulzar, Sher Afzal Marwat, and former spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry publicly expressing dissatisfaction with the party’s leadership and its handling of Imran Khan’s situation. Notably, Marwat had recently reconciled with Khan after a period of estrangement following controversial statements about Saudi Arabia and party leadership.
