- Imran Khan cancels the membership of PTI those who left.
LAHORE: Following a series of high-profile defections from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, Chairman Imran Khan has directed the termination of basic membership for all deserters and their removal from the party’s WhatsApp groups, according to sources. Jamshed Cheema and his wife, Musarrat, are among those who have been removed from the WhatsApp groups, the sources confirmed.
To publicize the defections, references to the defectors will be updated on the party’s social media accounts. While no references have been shared yet, the official PTI Twitter account has retweeted posts referring to the defections as “forced divorces.”
In a separate tweet, Khan expressed that his party is facing what he referred to as “the full force of state terror.” He noted that their descent into fascism began on May 25 last year, highlighting incidents of alleged harassment and violence against PTI members, including midnight raids, kidnappings, tear gas, rubber bullets, and police brutality.
Khan claimed that the PTI, as the largest federal party, is now experiencing the full fury of state power without any accountability. He alleged that over 10,000 PTI workers and supporters, including senior leaders, are currently in jail, with some facing custodial torture.
Referring to the events on May 9 when PTI workers burned and vandalized military installations, including the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, after Khan’s arrest, the party has faced intensified scrutiny and pressure from the state. The army labeled May 9 as a “Black Day,” and numerous party leaders and workers have been detained in connection with the violent protests. The army has advocated for those involved in the attacks on military installations to be tried under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act.
As a result of the ongoing situation, a close aide of Khan, Asad Umar, has resigned from his positions as secretary general and core committee member. Several other party leaders and lawmakers, including Fawad Chaudhary, Shireen Mazari, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, and Maleeka Bokhari and Murad Raas have publicly condemned the attacks on state installations and announced their departure from the party since the May 9 incidents.
The PTI is currently grappling with internal and external challenges, including a wave of defections, legal ramifications, and growing tensions with state institutions. The fallout from the events on May 9 has significantly impacted the party’s stability and raised concerns about the future trajectory of Pakistani politics.
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