Ex-Punjab CM Buzdar slams May 9 riots, quits politics

LAHORE: Former Punjab chief minister Usman Buzdar Friday became the latest Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader to quit politics in the aftermath of the May 9 riots, Geo News reported. 

“First of all, I condemn the May 9 incidents. The military installations which were targeted were properties of the state of Pakistan and I believe we should avoid such incidents,” Buzdar told journalists during a press conference in Lahore. Buzdar, whose term as Punjab’s chief minister was cut short in March 2022, said he had always stood with the armed forces of Pakistan and would continue to do so. “I have always committed to politics of nobility but due to the current circumstances, I have decided to quit politics,” the former chief minister, once considered to be close to PTI Chairman Imran Khan, said. The former chief minister called on all stakeholders to reach a consensus and asked the authorities to release all those who were innocent from jail.