Another major blow to PTI as Fayyaz ul Chohan quits party

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) suffered another huge blow as former Punjab minister Fayyaz ul Hassan Chohan quit the party over May 9 violence and “lack of sympathy” from party chairman Imran Khan, ARY News reported on Tuesday.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, the former Punjab minster expressed grief over the May 9 riots, saying that they should not confront with state and its institutions.

Fayyaz ul Chohan said that except for him, no one else in the party opposed to the ‘policy of violence’. “There was no one who could make Imran Khan understand that politics should be done with patience and tolerance,” he added.

Chohan noted that he was the only to oppose ‘policy of violence’ as “this is why I was sidelined in the party for the last one year.” “I tried to make Imran understand that we are followers of Quaid-e-Azam and told him to stop this confrontation against the state and institutions,” he added.

The former minister said that the PTI chief did not utter a single word of sympathy for him, despite the number of sacrifices he had given for the party. “Someone had told Imran that I support the army a lot,” he alleged.

It is pertinent to mention here that several PTI lawmakers and members have parted their ways with the party following the May 9 violence, wherein military installations including General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and Corps Commander House Lahore were attacked after the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.

It was the second major blow to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in a day. Earlier, Former human rights minister and PTI leader Shireen Mazari announced to quit PTI and politics.

Shireen Mazari condemned the violence and expressed her solidarity with the victims and their families. “I condemn the incidents of May 9 and 10 in the strongest possible terms,” she said.

Mazari stated that she has personally taken the initiative to launch an inquiry into the matter by approaching the Islamabad High Court. “I have undertaken an inquiry in the Islamabad High Court to ensure a fair and transparent investigation,” she announced.

May 9 events

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on Tuesday.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack during a protest of PTI workers.

It was also reported that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Operations Ali Nasir Rizvi sustained severe injuries while clearing