Web desk: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) social media campaign “Mission Noor” has drawn opposition from within the party’s senior leadership and sparked heated debate among the public and on social media platforms.
Under the campaign, citizens were urged to go to their rooftops at 9 pm tonight and give the call to prayer (Azan). The initiative was promoted as a symbolic, peaceful, and non-political movement intended to spread a message of “hope, unity, and resistance.”
However, its name and chosen date have stirred strong objections from religious and political circles.
Senior PTI leaders, including Ali Muhammad Khan and former president Dr Arif Alvi, distanced themselves from the campaign, calling it controversial and religiously sensitive.
In a social media post, Ali Muhammad Khan wrote: “” Noor ” is one of the 99 blessed names of Allah Almighty, which is extremely auspicious, but “Mission Noor,” which is not any official program of @PTIofficial, was nevertheless an effort by some individuals on social media, and undoubtedly it would have been with good intentions so that liberation could be achieved.”
حرمتِ رسول ﷺ میں موت بھی قبول ہے !
— Ali Muhammad Khan (@Ali_MuhammadPTI) September 20, 2025
” نُور “ اللّٰہ تعالی کے 99 ناموں میں سے ایک مبارک نام ہے جو انتہائی بابرکت ہے لیکن ”مشن نور “ جو @PTIofficial کا کوئی باضابطہ پروگرام تو نہیں البتہ سوشل میڈیا کے کچھ حضرات کی کاوش تھی اور بیشک نیک نیتی سے ہی ہوگی تاکہ اس ظالم نظام اور…
He further argued that 20 September, the date chosen for the campaign, coincides with the establishment of Rabwah in 1948 as the global centre of the Ahmadiyya community.
Linking any political or religious drive with such a title and date, he warned, could be unacceptable and even contrary to faith.
Khan added that if the aim was simply to give Azan, it could be done on another day under a different name.
It is important to note that “Mission Noor” is not an official PTI programme. Instead, it has been described as an independent effort by young activists on social media, who framed it as a symbolic protest against current political turmoil and alleged electoral irregularities.
Supporters of the campaign insist it was merely a spiritual expression through the Azan, not a march or protest, aimed at giving people a sense of unity and hope.
However, religious groups and some political commentators argue that using the sacred name “Noor” and selecting a sensitive date could inadvertently hurt religious sentiments.
They suggest that if such symbolic movements are to be held, they should adopt names and dates that carry no controversial or divisive associations.
The episode has exposed clear divisions within PTI ranks, turning “Mission Noor” into a fresh test for the party’s unity and public messaging
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