Imran Ismail, Ali Haider Zaidi latest PTI leader to jump ship n Imran Khan says Qureshi will run party if he is disqualified n Jahangir Tareen intensifies contacts with PTI leaders to launch new version of party.

 

ISLAMABAD/LAHORE/KARACHI    -    Many more leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-In­saf (PTI) Saturday an­nounced to part ways with the party.

In separate news con­ferences, former Gover­nor Sindh Imran Ismail, PTI Sindh President Ali Haider Zaidi, former MPA Hashim Dogar, for­mer MNA Raja Khurram Nawaz announced to quit the party following the May 9 vandalism and violent protests across the country. 

The development comes as PTI formed a negotiation committee for talks with the government after the approval of party chair­man Imran Khan on Saturday. The party said the seven-mem­ber team will decide the plan of action with the government re­garding the elections.

The committee comprises party vice chairman Shah Mah­mood Qureshi, Pervez Khattak, Asad Qaiser, Hammad Azhar, Haleem Adil Sheikh, Murad Saeed and Aon Abbas Buppi.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan also said that PTI Vice Chair­man Shah Mahmood Qureshi would lead the party in case of his disqualification by a court. “If I am disqualified, Shah Mah­mood Qureshi will run the par­ty,” Khan said Saturday in a meeting with journalists and lawyers at his Zaman Park res­idence in Lahore.

Other PTI leaders who an­nounced to leave party include Taimur Bhatti and Chaudhry Ikhlaq. They said our army is our pride and the entire nation stands by Pakistan’s armed forc­es. Meanwhile, PTI leaders Dr Akhtar Malik and Mian Tariq Ab­dullah have also announced quit­ting PTI and strongly condemned the violent incidents on 9th May. Addressing a joint press confer­ence in Islamabad on Saturday, they said May 9 will always be remembered as a black day in the history of Pakistan. Former Sindh Governor Imran Ismail has announced the resignation from all slots of Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and said goodbye to politics here on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference at the Karachi Press Club (KPC), Ismail said that he also resigned from the positions of PTI’s Ad­ditional Secretary General and member of the core committee.

“I am not sure whether I shall continue politics or not”.

The former Governor and PTI’s stalwart said that he was among those four people, who made Pa­kistan Tehreek e Insaf (PTI) and was among founding members. ‘We spent 27 to 28 years in polit­ical struggle,’ he said adding that they saw ups and downs during the political career. 

He said that PTI had dreamt of a developed and prosperous Pakistan but a tragedy emerged on May 09, and attacks were carried out on GHQ, Corps Com­mander House and an army jet. 

While condemning the May 09 incident, Imran Ismail said that it had yet to be ascertained, who attacked the installations and an inquiry into the attacks be initiated to bring the culprits to book. He said, ‘Our hearts go to our martyrs.’ The former Gover­nor said that he had a deep rela­tion with Pakistan Army.

Former Member National As­sembly (MNA) Raja Khurram Nawaz along with his like-mind­ed on Saturday announced part­ing ways from Imran Khan’s Pa­kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and denounced incidents of 9th May. In a jam-packed press con­ference, Raja Khurram Nawas announced to quit politics and demanded fair investigations of the incidents and punishment in accordance with the law of land to those who were involved in attacks. Raja Khurram Nawaz presented a tribute to martyrs of the Pakistan Army and said that Pak Army’s sacrifices for the country are unmatchable.

He vowed to continue to serve the people of his constituency but not from the platform of Pa­kistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.

In another press conference former provincial interior min­ister from Punjab and PTI’s stal­wart Hashim Dogar, former pro­vincial minister for sports, Rai Taimoor Bhatti, former MPA Mamoon Tarar, Ikhlaq Ahmad along with colleagues also an­nounced to part ways with Im­ran Khan and his party and announced to resign from all positions in the party.

In the marathon race to leave Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) former Provincial Minister for Energy Dr Akhtar Malik, Mem­ber of Provincial Assembly (MPA) Mian Tariq Abdullah and Fakhar Zaman along with allies Saturday announced to leave the PTI.

Addressing a press conference here, the PTI leaders strong­ly condemned the incidents of May 9 which occurred after the arrest of former Prime Minister (PM) and chairman of PTI Im­ran Khan. “We are parting ways with the party in protest of the vandalism across the country and nobody is pressuring us to quit from the PTI,” they added.

They said, “ May 9 is the black day in the history of the coun­try and these types of inci­dents shall not be accepted at any cost.” “The tussle among the national institutions must be stopped, the PTI leaders added. 

“Responsibles of May 9 ri­ots shall be identified and pun­ished according to the law,” they added. Meanwhile, Se­nior PTI forward group lead­er Jahangir Khan Tareen made fresh contacts with those lead­ers who have just resigned from PTI to offer them to join the JKT group of PTI. Informed sourc­es told The Nation that Jahan­gir Khan Tareen himself made contacts on phone with over 100 political leaders includ­ing former central and provin­cial leadership PTI. Jahangir Tareen also made contact with Fawad Chaudhary and Firdous Ashiq Awan who have recent­ly resigned. Both also served as information Ministers in PTI government. In KP Former de­fence minister Pervaiz Khatak was also approached by Jah­angir Khan Tareen on phone during which both discussed en masse resignations by PTI lead­ers. Both Pervaiz Khatak and Ja­hangir Khan Tareen are friends.

Both Jahangir Khan Tareen and Pervaiz Khatak have spoken to each other on telephone num­ber of times in the last week. Ja­hangir Khan Tareen is holding consultations with his faction of the party leaders on forming of the new version of PTI. 

Jahangir Khan Tareen, accord­ing to sources is waiting for more PTI leaders to resign from the party and contact him. Once the main stream leadership of PTI completely resigns from the party then JKT will formally an­nounced the launching of new Version of PTI in Lahore. JKT also enjoys support from the powerful elements.