Internal divisions in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were exposed at Adiala jail, as party leaders bickered over the Islamabad protest and Imran Khan’s conditions of detention.

PTI founding president Imran Khan, his wife Bushra Bibi, sister Aleema Khan and party leaders Faisal Chaudhry, lawyer Gohar Khan and Mashal Yousafzai were all present when an argument broke out the day after the protest on 24 November, Express News reported.

Bushra Bibi expressed frustration over Punjab’s lackluster response to the protest, saying the region had not shown enough support for the party during its November protest in Islamabad.

In contrast, lawyer Gohar Khan defended Punjab’s efforts, pointing to the harsh crackdown and arrest of 5,000 party members, which he said had seriously hampered PTI’s operations in the province.

The exchange took a turn when Aleema Khan confronted Faisal Chaudhry, questioning why PTI founder Imran Khan was not being provided with newspapers and other basic prison facilities.

Chaudhry defended the party’s efforts but placed blame on senior officials, questioning why they did not take more responsibility by attending court hearings themselves.

Tension escalated when Aleema Khan raised concerns over the Islamabad High Court’s monitoring committee.

Faisal Chaudhry clarified that the commission was mandated by the court and beyond their control. However, Mashal Yousafzai accused Chaudhry of undermining the work of the commission, leading to a heated exchange of words.

Lawyer Gohar Khan, trying to quell the disagreement, advised the group to leave some decisions to the party leadership, suggesting that the numerous public comments on the protests and internal issues were only breeding confusion.

Amid the rows, PTI founding president Imran Khan expressed grave concerns over what he called the rise of “fascism” in Punjab, saying it had spread fear among the public.

He referred to the D-Chowk protest, during which 200 PTI members reportedly went missing.