Maleeka Bokhari, a former member of the National Assembly, joined a lengthy list of party leaders who have defected since the May 9 riots when she declared on Thursday that she was leaving the Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). “I condemn the events that transpired on May 9. For every Pakistani, the events that took place on May 9 are very painful,” the former member of the National Assembly said in a press conference in Islamabad. Announcing her “dissociation” from the party, Bokhari said she wasn’t under duress and “no one forced me into making this decision”. “As a lawyer, I want to play a positive role in Pakistan. I also want to spend time with my family,” she said.