Imran Khan's adventurism irks PTI leaders

Islamabad: A day after his supporters attempted to enter the prime minister's house, cricketer-turned-politician Imran Khan faced disapproval from within his party -- Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf (PTI) -- over taking such an "unethical" step.

PTI President Javed Hashmi Sunday said all was normal Saturday evening but he does not know "who convinced Imran Khan to move towards PM house", Radio Pakistan reported Sunday.

He said peaceful protest is the right of political parties but "no ethics allowed anyone to storm PM House".

"We had sent the draft of our demands to the prime minister who had to respond to them by Sunday," said Hashmi, "but Imran, despite giving assurance to remain at the sit-in place, announced to move forward".

He said Imran Khan, the chairman of PTI, had given "a commitment to the party leaders to not move towards PM house" but "after receiving messages from unknown place, Imran deviated from his commitment".

Meanwhile, after Hashmi presented his viewpoint in a press conference, PTI's information department defended their chief Imran Khan, by issuing a press release stating that moving towards Prime Minister House was "a collective decision", Dawn reported.

PTI's Central Information Secretary Shireen Mazari stated that after it was assured Saturday that the protest movement would remain "peaceful", Imran Khan convened a meeting of the larger core committee which endorsed his view that PTI should move forward to the PM House.

Mazari said the PTI leadership stands with Imran Khan and the decisions made by him.

Police fired tear gas shells to disperse thousands of PTI and Pakistani Awami Tehreek (PAT) supporters as they were marching towards the prime minister's house late Saturday. At least eight protestors were reported killed and 450 people injured in the clashes with police.