Two KP ex-ministers quit PTI

PESHAWAR: PTI Chairman is facing a party crisis as three more former legislators announced quitting the party on Friday.

Political figure from Lakki Marwat and former health minister Dr Hisham Inamullah Khan Marwat has decided to quit the PTI. Besides, a former member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from North Waziristan and provincial minister Iqbal Wazir also announced quitting the PTI over the May 9 violence. Dr Hisham Inamullah Marwat told The News on Friday, “I decided that I will not continue with them anymore. I think it is too much. Politics is not important more than Pakistan.” He will hold a press conference today (Saturday) in Peshawar to formally announce his farewell to the PTI.

Dr Hisham Inamullah was elected member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly on a PTI ticket in the 2018 general election. Dr Hisham had impressed chairman PTI Imran Khan and his cousin and the de facto chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Dr Nausherwan Burki, and was made the provincial health minister. He faced serious challenges from the doctor community as he sincerely supported Dr Nausherwan Burki in his so-called health reforms. However, according to PTI insiders, some of the party leaders in KP considered him a serious threat and the party leadership first got changed his portfolio and made him minister for social welfare, special education and women empowerment and later he was de-notified as minister.

“He was already not happy with the party leadership but when the party started a malicious campaign against the armed forces, he said he would no longer stay in this party as it crossed all the limitations,” a source close to him said. When reached, Dr Hisham Inamullah said the attitude of the party leadership towards the state and its institutions disappointed him and decided to separate himself from them. He said no political party in Pakistan before used bad names for the national institutions.

Meanwhile, a former member of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from North Waziristan and provincial minister Iqbal Wazir also announced quitting the PTI over the May 9 violent protests. Speaking at a press conference here, he said that PTI leadership had put trust in him by giving him a ministry in recognition of his services to the party. The former lawmaker said he remained loyal to the party and declined the monetary temptations during the Senate election.

Explaining his point, he said he stood by his party after the leadership decided to stage protests against the Pakistan Democratic Movement government. However, he said some irrational leaders and workers of the party attacked the national and security installations on May 9 violence which caused him anger. Iqbal Wazir said that national interest was above any political loyalty, and he had decided to quit the PTI basic membership and district chief position without any pressure or influence. PTI North Waziristan chapter vice-president Qaiser Wazir who was also present on the occasion announced leaving the party.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf leader and former MNA from Sindh Jai Parkash Ukrani also announced partying ways with the PTI.

Addressing a press conference, he said he condemned the May 9 attacks, adding that he was not intended to leave the party until May 8. “I supported the party in every difficulty. In these 13 months, we had peaceful protests, on May 9, a peaceful protest turned violent. When I saw damage being done to security installations [I took the decision],” he added.

He said: “No one picked me up, I was in my personal engagements, a few days after May 9, I thought and decided, there is no pressure on me” He went on to say that he had taken the decision without any pressure adding that Pakistan’s existence was not possible without the army. “We honored PTI chief Imran Khan’s call for peaceful protests but I don’t know who did this [attacks on military installations],” he added.

Whoever did this must be punished, he said. “I have worked under the leadership of President Dr Arif Alvi in Karachi,” he added. Whatever Alvi instructed, he said, must be followed.

He said that everyone in the big party has their own thoughts. Those miscreants who are involved should be caught and this matter should be condemned by all.