Mustafa Khokhar parts ways with PPP

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leader Mustafa Nawaz Khokhar Friday announced quitting the party after differences arose between him and the leadership over his stance on the government’s policies.

“I wish PPP the best. I feel honoured to have served as a member of the party, but I am no longer its part,” Khokhar — who has served as PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari’s spokesperson — said during Geo News’ programme “Naya Pakistan”.

“I am as much part of PPP as Miftah Ismail is of the PMLN. Let’s see where I head next from here,” the former senator told programme host Shehzad Iqbal.

In response to a question, Khokhar — who stepped down as a senator last month — said that the party’s leadership would be able to elaborate on why they asked him to resign from the upper house.

“The position I took is not appreciated much. But with time, the establishment’s influence has increased. However, I am satisfied with my stance, and I am satisfied.”

Stressing that people should be free to speak their minds, Khokhar said if the party’s members do not talk about ongoing issues, it would look like more of a “monarchy than a political party”.

The former senator said that the establishment’s interference in politics did not end at the time of the no-confidence motion — and it still hasn’t ended.

“We managed what happened at Sindh House. [Some of it was out of free will] and some was forced. But whatever happened in [Khan’s] tenure is still happening today,” he lamented.

Taking a jibe at the incumbent government, Khokhar called it “Hybrid 2.0” and noted that it was “restoring to the wrong moves” in PTI Senator Azam Swati’s case — who is being transferred from one jail to another over his controversial tweets.

“And why is Ali Wazir in jail? Why he is not being released? If he gets bail in one case, he is sent back to [prison] in another case,” Khokhar said about the independent member of the National Assembly who has been behind bars since December 2020.