In a significant blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), two prominent leaders, Shireen Mazari and Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, announced their resignation from the Imran Khan-led party. This latest development comes amidst a series of departures by seasoned leaders in the aftermath of the May 9 mayhem.
Numerous party officials and lawmakers, including Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, and Aftab Siddiqui, have publicly criticized the attacks on state installations and subsequently announced their departure from the former ruling party since the violent events on May 9.
During a press conference in the capital, Mazari, a former federal minister and close aide of Khan, condemned the riots that occurred on May 9, during which PTI supporters vandalized and set fire to public and defense installations across the country. She emphasized her longstanding condemnation of violence in any form.
Mazari not only declared her departure from the party but also announced her exit from politics altogether. She cited her deteriorating health during the 12 days of detention and expressed her intention to prioritize her children and parents moving forward.
Furthermore, Mazari strongly denounced violence against state symbols such as the General Headquarters (GHQ), parliament, and the Supreme Court. She revealed that her daughter, Imaan Mazari, had experienced distress due to her repeated arrests, recounting a video in which her daughter was seen crying during her third detention.
The senior PTI leader disclosed that she had submitted an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court (IHC), pledging not to participate in any future violent protests. Mazari had been arrested multiple times in recent days following the May 9 riots, which were sparked by the arrest of the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust case. Even after being granted bail by the Gujranwala court in a case related to vandalism and attacks on defense and public installations, she was rearrested.
Shortly after Mazari’s press conference, Fayyazul Chohan, another PTI member, also announced his departure from the party. Chohan criticized PTI leadership for failing to prevent the violence on May 9 and opposed Imran Khan’s confrontational stance towards state institutions. He claimed that he had been marginalized within the party for the past year and had been denied permission to meet Imran Khan on one occasion.
Chohan declared his resignation from the party while expressing his commitment to serving the country and remaining actively involved in politics.
In response to the departure of these PTI leaders, Imran Khan alleged that they had been coerced into leaving the party. He expressed sympathy for those facing pressure to quit and praised senior members who resisted such extreme pressures, as stated on his official Twitter account.
Following the May 9 riots, the National Security Committee (NSC), comprising top civilian and military leaders, pledged to prosecute the culprits under the relevant laws, including the Army Act. Consequently, thousands of party workers have been arrested across the country for their alleged involvement in the violent events. Despite court orders for their release, top PTI leaders, including Shah Mahmood Qureshi and Asad Umar, the vice chairman and secretary general of the party, respectively, remain in custody.