Prominent lawyer and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Babar Awan on Friday left for the United Kingdom amid the party leaders’ mass exodus following a countrywide crackdown in the backdrop of the May 9 mayhem and attack on the civil and military installations, a private TV channel reported.
According to TV channel, the counsel of PTI Chairman Imran Khan has left for London from Islamabad International Airport via a foreign airline at 1pm. Awan is a close aide and legal advisor of the PTI chairman. His family sources, however, said that Awan’s London trip was already scheduled, adding that he would return soon. In a tweet, Awan confirmed the report, saying he is abroad due to his scheduled personal engagements. “All of my medicines are Pakistani and [I receive] treatment by Pakistani doctors,” he added.
He said: “Earlier, Imran was a friend, now he is my leader; PTI is my extended family and Pakistan is my destination.” As a result of the days-day-long protests triggered by Khan’s arrest from the Islamabad High Court in the Al-Qadir Trust case, around eight people lost their lives, dozens were injured, and the government suspended internet services to maintain the law and order situation.