Beginning of exodus?: Three leaders quit PTI under fire over May 9 violence

ISLAMABAD/ LAHORE/KARACHI: Anguish among Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders and workers seems increasing against the May-9 tragedy as three more party leaders condemned the incident and announced parting ways with Imran Khan on Wednesday.

MNA Mahmood Molvi had already parted ways with the PTI, and a central party leader and former health minister, Amir Mahmood Kyani, also announced his decision on Wednesday to quit the party and politics also, saying he could never go against the army.

He told a news conference here that it was a matter of great disappointment that due to the recent events, on the journey on which he completed 27 years, he was left with no other option but to say goodbye to politics.

Kyani joined the PTI in 1996 and had been close to the party chairman Imran Khan and served the party in different positions over the years.

He preferred not to talk much about the party affairs but announced quitting politics. “I cannot be part of this kind of politics that tomorrow if there is any attack on Pakistan, I am also included in the list of attackers,” he added.

Kyani pointed out that the incidents of GHQ and corps commander’s house were sad and Pakistan was in crisis today. “I have a close relationship with the armed forces of Pakistan; I have been associated with Imran Khan; I have not been to Lahore for a long time; we are part of the institution and the state, whereas my name has also been included in the Mianwali incident,” he regretted.

He said he did not go to Lahore for one-and-a-half months, and did not attend any meeting. He said hitting the army was a dangerous task; even today there are three to four martyrs on the borders. Imran Khan himself says that institutions are important. “I am extremely sorry for these incidents. Imran had given me ticket to contest polls and the party gave me respect. The reason of quitting the party is that I can’t and will not go against the army,” he added.

He conceded that the events of May 9 had hurt him, but clarified that personally he had never made any statement against the Pakistan Army. “Our survival is connected with the army after Allah, the jawans are offering sacrifices and martyrdom,” he added.

He said he could not remain involved in the politics where the situation has reached; whenever there was difficulty, the army had sacrificed their lives. “I will not do politics anymore, I will do whatever service I can to the people related to human rights,” he announced.

“I worked continuously with the party till last month; my grandfather and family belong to the army; the events of May 9 have had a great impact on me, the incident of May 9 was very painful, May 9 was the day of national tragedy, I face 8-9 political cases of terrorism,” he added.

In the second case, Sanjay Gangwani also jumped on the bandwagon to quit the party following attacks on defence and public installations.

PTI Member of Sindh Assembly (MPA) Sanjay Gangwani also announced leaving the party in protest against attacks on military installations. MPA Karim Gabol also quit the party.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Chairman Imran Khan warned on Wednesday that the federation would face disintegration if sanity did not prevail in the present crisis.

In his TV address in Lahore, he said all efforts were being made to block his way, delay elections and violate the Constitution.

Former premier said that surveys showed that his party was the most popular party of the country with a graph of 70 per cent support amongst the country people. He warned that the current crackdown on his party and atrocities against its leadership and workers would have serious repercussions, and the federation would face disintegration.

He said that rulers’ main concern was that Imran Khan was the hurdle in their way as he was exposing their corruption of billions of rupees that they had hidden abroad through an ‘NRO’. They feared that Imran Khan would abolish that NRO after coming to power again, added the PTI chairman.

The former PM said that was the reason that the incumbent ruling coalition was attempting to pitch the largest party of the country against the institution of Army. They knew all negative tactics for being in Pakistani politics for long and that was why they had succeeded in their conspiracy hatched against the PTI.

Imran Khan asserted that he had time and again conveyed to the powers concerned that he did not intervene in the matters of institutions, but the rulers were portraying his negative image through their tactics. Imran made it clear that if he had any intent to meddle in the affairs of Army, he could have removed the previous army chief when the latter had started hatching conspiracies. Imran said he was one of those who had always defended the institution of Pakistan Army on foreign lands. Imran once again said this could be his last address as he might be arrested and he could not speak to the nation again.

Meanwhile, PTI Senator Waleed Iqbal said the PTI workers were involved in the attack on Jinnah House, but their act was personal one and the leadership had nothing to do with it.

While speaking in a TV programmer, he said the PTI workers were involved in the attack on military installations but the leadership did not order it. He said action should be taken against those involved in the attack on military installations under the Army Act, or whatever law was applicable to their offense.

According to another development, a PTI ticket-holder from Lahore, Ibad Farooq, has returned the party ticket from PP-148 and claimed that party leaders like Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr Yasmin Rashid had urged workers to attack Jinnah House.

In a video message, he announced returning the ticket and disclosed that on May 9, senior PTI leaders, including Senator Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr Yasmin Rashid, had telephoned the party members and asked them to gather at the Jinnah House in Lahore. He expressed regrets and said it was done on the instructions of Ejaz Chaudhry and Dr. Yasmin Rashid. On the other hand, the PTI camp on the social media claimed that Ibad Farooq had come up with a fresh statement that he was still part of the party and that the previous statement was recorded forcibly.

Speaking to reporters in Karachi, former PTI leader Faisal Vawda said PTI is going to be face what MQM has faced so far. He said PTI is on its way to becoming the new MQM, adding the whole episode of MQM being split into factions, “these snakes” have already dragged brought Imran Khan and his politics to that point.

Calling several PTI leaders “self-interested, shameless snakes”, he predicted that in the first step, some PTI leaders will condemn the May 9 mayhem and disassociate themselves from involvement in the acts of vandalism. “In the second step, the PTI leaders will divide and hurl allegations at each other,” he added. When asked about former spymaster Faiz Hameed, Vawda said he is also among the shameless.