ISLAMABAD, Jan 30 (Alliance News): A purportedly leaked audio of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Information Secretary Sheikh Waqas Akram went viral on Saturday, in which he is allegedly heard criticising the handling of a sit-in staged by Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Sohail Afridi near Adiala Jail, Rawalpindi.
The sit-in was held after authorities once again denied the KP chief minister permission to meet incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
Afridi had reached Rawalpindi amid growing concerns over Imran Khan’s health following reports of his brief medical procedure at the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (Pims), later confirmed by Information Minister Attaullah Tarar.
In the leaked audio circulating on social media, Akram is purportedly heard saying that if a sit-in was planned, the KP chief minister should have brought members of the provincial assembly with him, particularly those based nearby.
He allegedly questioned why lawmakers were not informed in advance during a meeting held at KP House the previous night, attended by senior PTI leaders including Asad Qaiser and Junaid Akbar.
According to the audio, Akram appeared to blame poor planning for the low turnout of PTI lawmakers, saying members could not be expected to reach immediately without prior notice. He reportedly said that legislators had already returned to their constituencies and it was unfair to fault them for not attending the sit-in.
The alleged recording also suggested that more PTI members managed to reach the Supreme Court later, highlighting that the issue lay with coordination rather than lack of commitment by party lawmakers.
Reacting to the controversy, PTI Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali Khan rejected claims of internal discord, saying the leaked audio had been misinterpreted.
Speaking to media after a political committee meeting attended by opposition leaders including Allama Raja Nasir Abbas and Mahmood Achakzai, he said Sheikh Waqas Akram “did not say anything like that” and dismissed reports of differences within the party.
