In Islamabad, tensions within the legal team of imprisoned former Prime Minister Imran Khan escalated on Thursday. One member not only persisted in making grave accusations against the other but also criticized the senior party leadership for their alleged involvement in the dispute.
A day earlier, Advocate Sher Afzal Khan Marwat had referred to senior counsel Shoaib Shaheen as the "sole traitor" within Imran Khan's legal team, both of whom are part of the PTI chief's legal counsel. Shaheen had also recently been appointed as the PTI spokesperson.
On Thursday, Marwat gained attention on social media after a revelation by senior anchorperson Javed Chaudhry on his YouTube channel that Marwat engaged in a physical altercation with PML-N Senator Afnan Ullah Khan during a live TV show.
Marwat, in a previous conversation, had stated that Shaheen mysteriously appeared in the PTI's legal committee meeting in Bani Gala in late April 2023, emphasizing that Shaheen had no prior affiliation with PTI or its Insaf Lawyers Forum (ILF).
Marwat questioned Shaheen's professional background, alleging that he had only dealt with service tribunal cases and lacked knowledge of criminal law. Marwat further accused Shaheen of leaking PTI's strategy to state attorneys and an intelligence agency.
In response, a PTI spokesperson issued a statement clarifying that the party did not endorse Marwat's tweet about Advocate Shaheen and expressed high regard for Shaheen as a key member of PTI's legal team.
The spokesperson emphasized the dedication and hard work of the PTI legal team in defending the party chairman, leaders, and workers amid challenging circumstances. Marwat later criticized the PTI spokesperson for defending Shaheen through an official press release but not acknowledging Shaheen's contributions to the PTI legal team.
He challenged the spokesperson to highlight Shaheen's achievements in defending PTI leaders in court and continued to level accusations against Shaheen, expressing concern about the presence of traitors within the party's ranks obstructing efforts to free Khan from jail.