PTI social media turns on its own leaders as Sher Afzal Marwat decries media coverage

Firebrand Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Sher Afzal Marwat has told journalists that the party's social media followers have turned on their own leaders.

Marwat, often known for sparring with other PTI leaders, referred to a recent development in which Imran Khan prohibited Marwat from visiting him in jail on January 23.

The News reported that Sher Afzal Marwat attempted to visit the party founder at Adiala Jail but was denied entry yesterday. Officials cited explicit instructions from the PTI founder, who clarified that Marwat was not his legal counsel and should not be granted access.

However, Marwat denied the news, stating: “As a protest, I am boycotting national media for 15 days as a protest against Imran Khan's news about me. Social media also ran this news. There are hundreds of news channels but nobody bothered to ask my perspective, I was not contacted.”

“The social media which aligns itself with PTI has now gone after its own leaders. This is not normal that whenever someone in the party gets in a mood, they start disparaging other party leaders,” stated Sher Afzal Marwat.

Marwat has also been issued show cause notices multiple times by the PTI, with the most recent one issued on January 13.

The party leader was directed to respond to allegations of issuing statements against party policy and the party’s secretary-general Salman Akram Raja in the most recent show cause notice.

Marwat also requested the media to contact him regarding any news related to him for authenticating the story. 

“The fake news that has been running against me since yesterday on electronic media and social media. My community, my tribe and all my supporters are getting angry because of the disrespect being meted out to me,” exclaimed the PTI leader.

 Social media users mostly criticised Marwat for his views, with one user writing: “What do you do yourself? Have you followed some party discipline? On social media, they are just common people, not MNAs or MPAs. No restrictions can be imposed on them like this, but you are a party official and should adhere to discipline.”

Another user wrote: “We Pashtuns are not angry at all, rather this decision has brought life back into our lives.”