Expressing their regret over the May 9 mayhem, two more Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders \u2014 singer-turned-politician Abrar Ul Haq and Senator Saifullah Nyazee \u2014 on Friday announced quitting the party.
\nThe PTI leaders’ mass exodus started when the security forces launched a crackdown against the party following the attacks on the civil and military institutions, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi and the Lahore Corps Commander\u2019s House (Jinnah House).
\nThe riots were triggered by PTI Chairman Imran Khan\u2019s arrest from Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust graft case on May 9 \u2014 a day the army dubbed as \u201cBlack Day\u201d.
\nAddressing a presser in Lahore, Haq said: \u201cI regret standing with Imran Khan.\u201d
\nHaq said he grew up in a family with a political and military background, adding that when he was blessed “with fame by Allah”, and had a passion to do something for the motherland.
\nTalking about his respect for the martyrs, the singer-turned-politician said that whenever he sees a photo of a martyr, he salutes it.
\n\u201cIn our medical college, education is free for the children of martyrs,\u201d he added. Haq said that he has no “greed for fame or position”.
\nIn a separate presser in Islamabad, Senator Nyazee announced parting ways with the PTI.
\n\u201cI remained very disturbed during the past year. I wanted to focus on my family,\u201d he said. The senator expressed great grief over May 9 incidents.
\nRaas and Firdous
\nEarlier today, PTI leader and former Punjab education minister Murad Raas announced that he has quit the party.
\nAddressing a press conference in Lahore, Raas said no amount of condemnation was enough for what happened on May 9. “We never thought we would part ways with the party,” he said alongside other leaders, including Pir Ahmad Khagga, Raja Yawar Kamal and Chaudhry Adnan.
\nHe laid the blame for the party’s current predicament \u2014 facing intense criticism with scores of leaders and thousands of workers arrested across the country following the riots \u2014 on Khan’s advisers in Lahore.
\n“We do not believe in the PTI’s politics of violence,” the former provincial minister said.
\nRaas said he and other politicians present at the press conference had decided to form a group so work on Pakistan’s progress could continue.
\nAnother PTI leader and former special assistant to the Punjab chief minister Firdous Ashiq Awan also announced her exit from the party.
\nCondemning the May 9 violence, she claimed that it was planned at Khan’s Zaman Park residence.
\nPTI feeling the heat
\nKhan\u2019s party has been feeling the heat of the state\u2019s might after his enraged PTI workers attacked military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commanders House and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi after his arrest on May 9 \u2014 a day the army dubbed as \u201cBlack Day\u201d.
\nSeveral party leaders and thousands of workers have been rounded up in connection with the violent protests and the army has insisted that the people involved in attacks on military installations be tried under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
\nA close aide of Khan, Asad Umar, has relinquished his posts of secretary general and core committee member, citing the ongoing situation.
\nSeveral party leaders and lawmakers \u2014 including Shireen Mazari, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Maleeka Bokhari, and Mussarrat and Jamshed Cheema among others \u2014 have publicly denounced the attacks on the state installations and announced leaving the former ruling party since the May 9 vandalism.
\nMeanwhile, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif has said the federal government was considering imposing a ban on the PTI after receiving evidence that the party\u2019s supporters carried out “pre-planned” and “coordinated” attacks on public properties and military installations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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