Two main leaders, eight ex-MPAs also quit PTI

ISLAMABAD/ MULTAN: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suffered more losses on Thursday when its two main leaders and eight former members of the Punjab assembly from south Punjab announced quitting the party in the wake of May-9 incidents.

PTI senior leader and former head of the ‘Billion tree tsunami’ project Malik Amin Aslam announced parting ways with Imran Khan, saying now the party was heading in a destructive direction.

Speaking at a news conference at National Press Club Islamabad, ex-advisor to former premier Imran Khan said after watching video clips of violent attacks on army installations and private buildings on May 9, he decided he could not go with that agenda anymore.

He said that after the May 9 tragedy, he believed that some black sheep would have been responsible for such incidents, and they would be removed from the party through self-accountability. But, he regretted, nothing of sort had happened so far. He contended that the party should be held accountable for what happened on May 9.

“Wherever protest demonstrations were made, their targets were military installations. This agenda is like fulfilling the dream of the enemies. On May 9, the party workers took the law into their hands, and the party leadership should have investigated all that,” he added.

Malik Amin, who hails from Attock, said the events of May 9 shocked people like him and what had happened was before everyone.

Separately, PTI deputy information secretary and member of the core committee Dr Muhammad Amjad announced on Thursday he was also quitting the party in the wake of May 9 incidents.

He told a news conference in federal capital that he was stepping down from all the party’s three posts i.e. deputy information secretary, member PTI core committee and Chairman Imran Khan’s focal person for trade unions.

Referring to May 9 incidents, he said: “If people of the country are worried about what you do, then it is not right.” He regretted how the military installations and civilian properties were attacked and torched and even images and monuments of the martyrs were not spared.

In Multan PTI former MPAs from south Punjab vehemently condemned the May 9 incidents and announced quitting the party.

“The PTI has emerged as an anti-Pakistan party and it appeased Indian with its violent acts on May 9,” they said. Those quitting the PTI belonged to Multan, Muzaffargarh, Layyah, Khanewal and Dera Ghazi Khan districts.

Those who announced parting ways with the party on Thursday were: PTI ex-MPA from PP-214 (Multan) Zaheeruddin Alezai, Qaisar Abbas Magsi from PP-282 (Layyah), Aalamdar Qureshi from PP-277, Ashraf Khan Rind from PP-279, Jahanzeb Waran from PP-251, Mujtaba Maitla from PP-210, Niaz Gashkori from PP-271, and Aoun Hamid Dogar from PP-276.