Imran Ismail, deputy member of ex-Pakistan PM Imran Khan’s party, quits PTI | World news
Imran Ismail, the former governor of Sindh and a close aide of Prime Minister Imran Khan parted ways with the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party on Saturday, hours after a terrorism court ordered his release from prison.
Earlier, an anti-terrorism court in Karachi ordered Ismail’s release from Karachi Central Jail after he provided a personal bond of ₹50,000.
More than 70 lawyers and leaders from the party have parted ways with Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party (PTI) over the May 9 strike.
Top PTI leaders – including the party’s Secretary General Asad Umar, former information minister Fawad Chaudhry and former minister for human rights Shireen Mazari – have resigned.
Ismail, who knows Khan from his days as a cricketer, and someone who has always come forward to defend him on television shows, made the announcement while talking to the media.
“I am resigning from all positions of PTI. Khan sahib I bid adieu to you and PTI,” he said at a press conference.
On June 9, violent protests erupted after paramilitary Rangers arrested Khan, 70, from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) area.
His team officials damaged a dozen military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commander’s House, Mianwali air base and the ISI building in Faisalabad in response to Khan’s arrest.
The mob also stormed the military headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi for a while.
Police put the death toll in the violent attacks at 10 while Khan’s party said 40 of its personnel lost their lives in firing by security forces.
Thousands of Khan supporters were arrested following the violence which the powerful Army described as a “dark day” in the country’s history. Ismail categorically denied that he was part of the May 9 massacre.
He decided to share the ways he was released from prison.
“Whoever did the attack, we as a nation are united with one thing that there is a demand and they are punished exemplary whether they are from PTI or not,” he said.
“I am among the four people who founded PTI, among the members who formed it and then there is a long struggle ahead of you… there are many ups and downs in the struggle and we hope for a developed and prosperous Pakistan. ,” he said. .
Ismail added that he is not sure if he will continue in politics.
Maryam Nawaz, Deputy Prime Minister of the PML-N party, told Khan that the “game is over” after the exit of senior members of his party.
Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said last week that those involved in attacks on military installations would be tried in military courts while those accused of attacks on civilian targets would be prosecuted. under civil law.
Pakistan’s Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has said that the government is considering a possible ban on Khan’s PTI party following an attack by his supporters on military installations following the former prime minister’s arrest.
Khan, a cricketer-turned-politician, was ousted from power in April last year after losing a no-confidence vote in his leadership, which he alleged was part of a US-led conspiracy against him over the decisions his independent foreign policy on Russia. , China, and Afghanistan.
