Daily Times

Three more leaders of the ‘sinking’ Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) ship have announced parting ways with Imran Khan over May 9 vandalism.

Former special assistant to prime minister Tariq Mehmood Al Hasan, former MPA Malik Khurram Ali Khan and former MNA Jamshed Thomas on Sunday condemned the May 9 violent protests following the arrest of Imran Khan in the Al-Qadir Trust case and announced stepping down from the party positions.

Khyber Pakhtunkhwa former MPA Ikramullah Gandapur also left the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Sunday.

At a press conference in Peshawar, he said that he condemned the events of May 9 and those involved in riots should be punished adding his family stood with PTI after the martyrdom of his uncle highlighting his father remained with the party through thick and thin. “This country is because of the army,” he stressed adding he has seen all kinds of harsh situations but as a Pakistani, he was not related to PTI after the May 9 incident.

Gandapur said after the May 9 mayhem, his family would contest independent elections because it has now become a matter of honour to not support any party that attacked security institutions.

These developments came amid an ongoing wave of desertions from the former ruling party over the attacks on sensitive defence and public installations during the nearly three-day-long riots sparked by the arrest of the party chief earlier this month.

Dozens of party leaders, lawmakers and founding members – including Shireen Mazari, Imran Ismail, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Ali Zaidi, Maleeka Bokhari among others – have parted ways with Khan for the same reason. Earlier this week, the deposed prime minister – who was removed from power in April last year – filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court against the imposition of Article 245 across the country except Sindh and the ongoing crackdown on the party workers in the wake of May 9 riots.

The Federation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and other ruling alliance leaders including Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto and Maulana Fazlur Rehman have been made respondents in the petition filed through advocate Hamid Khan. Referring to the deployment of army troops in aid of civil authorities, the PTI chief implored the court to declare the imposition of Article 245 invalid and barred the authorities from arresting party workers and leaders who are allegedly involved in ransacking state installations following Khan’s arrest on May 9.

The petition has also requested the apex court to stop the trial of civilians accused of attacking defence installations in military courts, terming it a violation of fundamental rights.

Moreover, the petition also prayed to the apex court to take action against the “forced separation” of PTI leaders.