Sadaqat Ali Abbasi parts ways with PTI

ISLAMABAD: Former parliamentarian Sadaqat Ali Abbasi has announced parting ways with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and blamed PTI Chairman Imran Khan for events that transpired on May 9 — when the party’s workers ransacked state installations.

“I announce leaving the PTI, the office of the PTI’s North Punjab president, and politics,” the former member of the National Assembly (MNA) said during an interview on a private television channel.

“I also fear the law [...] there are a lot of FIRs registered against me. I do have the pressure of facing cases in court. There is no other pressure on me,” the ex-PTI leader said. Abbasi’s interview comes days after he reached his home after being “missing” for nearly a month.

In a video circulating on social media, Abbasi became emotional during his reunion with family members. He met his family after an anti-terrorism court in Rawalpindi approved his pre-arrest bail in a case till October 10. The ex-MNA also faces other cases related to the attack on military installations.

“Due to the narrative that has been built [...] I cannot continue as a PTI member. I have no plans of staying in politics anymore,” Abbasi said. Abbasi has become the latest politician to quit the party, joining a long list of leaders — including Usman Dar, Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, and Pervez Khattak — who parted ways with Imran following May 9.

A crackdown was also launched against those involved in the events, leading to the arrest of hundreds of party workers and leaders — including Vice Chairman Shah Mehmood Qureshi.

Abbasi mentioned that for the past year, Imran Khan’s narrative was against the establishment. He added that the people who had a similar opinion (anti-establishment) included current and former leaders like Shireen Mazari, Shahbaz Gill, and Murad Saeed.

“Sometimes they would make such bold statements that even we would be worried,” the ex-MNA said. Abbasi said Khan — during a meeting on May 4 — had planned a rally for May 6 in Rawalpindi, which was near the military installations.

“He wanted to send a message that if I’m arrested, then the party’s target would be military installations,” the former PTI leader said, adding that Khan repeatedly stressed that the PTI’s “actual war was against the establishment”.

The now-former PTI leader added that the events that transpired on May 9 were due to the narrative-building of Khan. Talking about where he had been in the recent days, Abbasi claimed: “I was here. I first stayed with a friend, then I went to GB [Gilgit Baltistan]. When I came back, I sought bail from the court.”