PTI leader terms Aliya’s remarks “unnecessary”.
Warns similar tweets won’t be tolerated in future.
Senator Ali Zafar calls Raja’s tone “inappropriate”.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja on Tuesday lashed out at party’s Punjab chapter chief organiser Aliya Hamza over her X post regarding the party’s recent event in Lahore.
Talking to the media outside the Adiala jail, PTI leader Salman Akram Raja said that Aliya Hamza should not have tweeted about the Lahore event and warned that similar social media posts would not be tolerated in future.
He further said attendance at the press conference wasn’t mandatory, adding that he attended solely because the Chief Minister Gandapur was there, as it wouldn’t have looked right for the CM to hold a solo presser, The News reported.
He emphasised that anyone interested could have joined without needing an invitation. Raja said that whoever made a mistake should apologise, there is no need to contact.
“Aliya Hamza’s job is to mobilise Punjab… let her do her job. Aliya Hamza’s job is not to tweet,” he said.
Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s parliamentary leader in the Senate Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, reacted strongly to the aggressive media talk by Salman Akram Raja against the party’s Chief Organiser Punjab Aliya Hamza.
During Geo News’ Capital Talk show, when a clip of Salman Akram’s media talk was shown, Senator Zafar emphasised that political leaders should refrain from using inflammatory tone and language and called for calm and patient communication.
He continued that they all were working according to the party ideology and none had the right to ‘undermine’ one another. “No one has the right to speak in such a loud way even if there is a need to criticise. When emotions run high, it’s crucial to take a step back, calm down, and then engage in a thoughtful conversation,” he advised.
The PTI senator expressed his disappointment and apologised for the oversight, noting that while the PTI event in Lahore was well-organised, the absence of an invitation to the party’s chief organiser for Punjab was a significant lapse given the importance of her role.
Zafar acknowledged that Aliya Hamza’s grievance was valid, noting that she was available and willing to attend the news conference.