Three more PTI leaders jump ship

Three more leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — MNA Aamer Mehmood Kiani and Sindh lawmakers Sanjay Gangwani and Karim Gabol — announced their resignations from the party, as law enforcers tightened their noose around those involved in the May 9 vandalism across the country.

The resignations come a day after senior leader Mahmood Baqi Maulvi also quit the party, citing his differences with the party’s stance against the country’s military.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, Kiani publicly announced his decision to withdraw from PTI as well as from the political sphere altogether in light of the recent upheaval following the violent protests which erupted around the country followin party chairman Imran Khan’s arrest.

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Kiani condemned the May 9 protests led by PTI supporters, describing the day as a "national tragedy". He expressed remorse over the widespread riots and chaos which spanned over three days, resulting in at least ten fatalities and numerous injuries throughout the country.

The former PTI additional secretary general termed the attacks on sensitive sites "painful", leading to the severance of his 27-year-long allegiance with the party.

Kiani emphasised his respect for the military, stating: “After Allah, our survival is dependent on the army as our soldiers are sacrificing their lives.”

He expressed regret over the attacks on the Lahore Corps Commander House and General Headquarters in Rawalpindi, officially resigning from his basic membership of the party.

Meanhwile, PTI member of the Sindh Assembly (MPA) Sanjay Gangwani also announced his departure from the party, citing the attacks on military facilities as the reason.

Also read May 9 vandalism: Mahmood Maulvi quits PTI in protest, resigns from NA seat

Karim Bux Gabol, another MPA in the Sindh provincial assembly, has also reportedly quit the embattled party citing the same reasons.

The resignations from the key figures follow the National Security Committee's (NSC) endorsement of the Corps Commander Conference's decision to try the perpetrators of the violent attacks under the Army Act and Official Secrets Act. 

In a strong rebuke of the politically motivated arson attacks, the NSC declared May 9 a 'Black Day' at a national level.

In a recent Special Corps Commanders’ Conference chaired by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, the military’s top commanders firmly resolved to hold the abettors, planners, and miscreants involved in attacks on military and public property accountable under the Army Act and the Official Secret Act.