- Over the May 9 assaults, 3 more PTI leaders left PTI.
LAHORE: Three more leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party have recently announced their decision to distance themselves from Imran Khan due to the vandalism that occurred on May 9. Tariq Mehmood Al Hasan, former special assistant to the prime minister, Malik Khurram Ali Khan, former Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA), and Jamshed Thomas, former Member of National Assembly (MNA), strongly condemned the violent protests that followed Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Consequently, they have resigned from their party positions.
This development is taking place amidst a growing trend of defections from the PTI, triggered by the attacks on sensitive defense and public installations during the three-day riots that ensued after the party leader’s arrest earlier this month. Notable figures such as Shireen Mazari, Imran Ismail, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Ali Zaidi, and Maleeka Bokhari have already distanced themselves from Imran Khan for the same reason.
Just recently, the deposed prime minister, who was ousted from power in April of the previous year, filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court. The petition challenges the nationwide implementation of Article 245, with the exception of Sindh, as well as the ongoing crackdown on party workers following the May 9 riots.
Advocate Hamid Khan filed the petition on behalf of Imran Khan, naming the Federation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders of the ruling alliance, including Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, as respondents.
Imran Khan implored the court to invalidate the imposition of Article 245 and prevent the authorities from arresting party workers and leaders allegedly involved in the destruction of state installations that took place after his own arrest on May 9. He highlighted the deployment of army troops in support of civil authorities as a crucial factor.
The petition also calls upon the apex court to intervene and halt the trial of civilians accused of attacking defense installations in military courts, as this is seen as a violation of fundamental rights.
Additionally, the petition requests the Supreme Court to take action against what it refers to as the “forced separation” of PTI leaders, further emphasizing the need for the court’s intervention in this matter.
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