- SIC chief steps down from TTAP secretary role.
- PTI trolling row sparks Raza’s resignation.
- Court cases add pressure on SIC leader.
ISLAMABAD: The opposition alliance faced a setback on Tuesday as Sahibzada Hamid Raza, head of the Sunni Ittehad Council, resigned from his position as information secretary, The News reported.
According to sources within the Tehreek-e-Tahafuz Ayeen-e-Pakistan (TTAP), Raza was deeply upset over alleged trolling by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) social media activists after he declined to join the September 20 “mission nor”.
PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan, addressing the media a day earlier, clarified that no official announcement regarding “mission nor” had been made from the party’s platform and suggested that the call may have originated from an unknown source.
However, some opposition leaders and central leaders were seen on social media marking the “mission nor” by reciting ‘Azaan’, including Senator Allama Raja Nasir Abbas Jafri.
It was learnt that Hamid Raza and his party had strong reservations about this mode of protest and declined to be part of it, prompting a sharp and unending reaction in the shape of his bashing by PTI social media.
“We are in touch with the SIC leadership and hopefully very soon sort out and allay the concerns of Sahibzada Hamid Raza. Since the party did not give any such call, then how can he be trolled for not subscribing to it,” a senior PTI leader said when contacted.
However, TTAP spokesman Akhunzada Hussain posted a statement on the opposition alliance’s X account, which says that Raza, an ally of the opposition alliance, had submitted his resignation to the TTAP leadership a few days ago, which was rejected by the leadership.
He noted that Hamid Raza’s position was that, due to court cases and unjust imprisonment, he was unable to independently fulfill his responsibility as information secretary of the alliance.
In this regard, he explained that Raza again submitted his resignation to the leadership. “The opposition leadership believes that this decision will be taken in the summit meeting and that the TTAP wants to make it clear that the Sunni Ittehad Council was, is and will remain an ally of the Tehreek,” he said.
Earlier this year, the ECP de-notified nine PTI lawmakers, including Raza, following their convictions in the May 9 cases.
The list included Ayub (MNA from NA-18 Haripur), Rai Hassan Nawaz (MNA from NA-143 Sahiwal-III), Zartaj Gul (MNA from NA-185 DG Khan-II), Rai Haider Ali (MNA from NA-96 Faisalabad-II), and Sahibzada Hamid Raza (MNA from NA-104 Faisalabad-X) from the lower house of parliament.
The lawmakers were disqualified under Article 63(1)(h) of the Constitution (a person shall be disqualified from being elected [if] … he has been, on conviction for any offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years).
The ECP’s decision followed the 10-year sentence awarded to the PTI leaders by a Faisalabad special anti-terrorism court (ATC).
In its verdict, the special ATC sentenced 108 individuals of the total 185 accused, which also includes SIC chief Hamid Raza, who has been handed 10 years imprisonment.
In a statement, which was also posted on the TTAP X account, Raza said he has resigned as information secretary of Tehreek in light of the party’s (SIC) guidelines after its emergency meeting.
He pointed out that Akhunzada has been informed about this. “He stood with Imran Khan and will continue to stand with him,” the statement quoted Raza as saying.
