Friday May 26, 2023
We never thought we would part ways” with PTI, says Raas.
He blames Khan's advisers in Lahore for the predicament.
Former SACM Firdous Ashiq Awan also announced his departure.
As the crackdown on the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continues after the May 9 mayhem, former Punjab Education Minister Murad Raas has become the latest leader to quit the party.
At a press conference in Lahore on Friday, Raas said no amount of condemnation was enough for what happened on May 9. "We never thought that we would part ways with the party," he said along with other leaders, including Pir Ahmad Khagga, Raja Yawar. Kamal and Chaudhry Adnan.
He blamed Khan's advisers in Lahore for the party's current predicament - facing intense criticism with scores of leaders and thousands of workers arrested across the country following the riots.
"We don't believe in PTI's politics of violence," the former provincial minister said.
Raas said he and other politicians present at the press conference decided to form the group so that the work of Pakistan's progress could continue.
Earlier today, another PTI leader and former Special Assistant to Punjab Chief Minister Firdous Ashiq Awana announced her departure from the party.
She condemned the May 9 violence, claiming it was planned at Khan's Zaman Park residence.
زمان پارک سے بیرونی ایجنڈے پر سازش تیار کی گئی، فردوس عاشق اعوان pic.twitter.com/BJNr0Swj2W
— Geo News Urdu (@geonews_urdu) May 26, 2023
At a separate press conference in Faisalabad, former National Assembly member Khurram Shehzad said he was also quitting the Khan-led party.
"I am resigning from my post as Deputy Secretary General. Whatever happened on May 9 is condemnable. We can never forget the sacrifices of the Pakistan Army."
Heat
Khan's party is feeling the heat of state power after his enraged PTI operatives attacked military installations, including the Lahore Corps Commanders House and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi following his arrest on May 9 - a day the military called a "black day".
Several party leaders and thousands of workers were arrested in connection with the violent protests, and the military insisted that those involved in attacks on military installations be tried under Pakistan's Army Act and Official Secrets Act.
Khan's close aide, Asad Umar, resigned as general secretary and core committee member, citing the ongoing situation.
Several party leaders and lawmakers – including Shireen Mazari, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Maleeka Bokhari and Mussarrat and Jamshed Cheema among others – publicly condemned the attacks on state facilities and announced. departure from the former ruling party since the May 9 vandalism.
Meanwhile, Defense Minister Khawaja Asif said the federal government was considering banning the PTI after receiving evidence that party supporters had carried out "pre-planned" and "coordinated" attacks on public property and military installations.
