Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's Raja slams Hamza over X post, warns against future remarks

Islamabad [Pakistan], July 16 (ANI): Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Salman Akram Raja publicly slammed the party's chief organiser in the country's Punjab province, Aliya Hamza, for her recent post on X, where she expressed dissatisfaction regarding a recent party event held in Lahore, Geo News reported.
According to Geo News, Raja, speaking to the media outside Adiala Jail, stated that Aliya's comments were inappropriate and cautioned that such social media activity would not be tolerated going forward.
He added that participation in the press conference was voluntary, but he chose to attend out of respect for Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Chief Minister Gandapur, noting it would have seemed inappropriate for the CM to address the media alone.
Raja clarified that no formal invitations were necessary to attend the event, and anyone could have participated. He added that if a mistake had been made, it should simply be acknowledged and an apology offered, without escalating tensions, Geo News reported.
"Aliya Hamza's job is to mobilise Punjab... let her do her job. Aliya Hamza's job is not to tweet," he said as quoted by Geo News.
In response to Raja's remarks, PTI's Senate parliamentary leader, Barrister Syed Ali Zafar, expressed concern over the tone used by Raja.
In a Geo News show, Zafar emphasised the importance of respectful communication among party leaders and discouraged the use of harsh or inflammatory language.
He reiterated that all PTI leaders work within the party's ideological framework and should not 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 noted as quoted by Geo News.
Zafar also acknowledged Hamza's concerns as valid, pointing out that she had been ready and willing to participate in the Lahore event but was not extended an invitation--an oversight he described as unfortunate. He concluded by praising the event's organisation while emphasising that the exclusion of a key organiser was a significant misstep, Geo News reported. (ANI)