PTI members continue to jump ship

Ex-parliamentarians in Bahawalpur and Multan announce their exit

BAHAWALPUR:

Three former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) parliamentarians quit the party on Thursday. The departures of Chaudhry Ehsanul Haque, Dr Muhammad Afzal and Javed Akhtar Ansari are the latest in a series of party leaders and members parting ways with Imran Khan’s party.

In Bahawalpur, PTI ticket holders and ex-parliamentarians, Chaudhary Ehsanul Haque and Dr Muhammad Afzal, announced that they were parting ways with PTI Chairman Imran Khan and the party during a press conference at the Bahawalpur Press Club on Thursday.

Addressing the conference, they strongly condemned the riots on May 9, which saw army installations and important buildings attacked and ransacked.

They said that under the pretext of protest, peace was damaged during the riots. They additionally paid rich tributes to Pakistan Army and said that they were proud of them.

The politicians demanded action against those involved in the riots.

Chaudhary Ehsanul-Haque and Dr Muhammad Afzal were ticket holders of PTI from PP-247 Yazman and PP-248 Head Rajkan. In the press conference, they announced they were returning their PTI tickets for general elections back to the party and they would announce future political endeavours after consultation with voters and supporters.

Meanwhile, two-time MPA Javed Akhtar Ansari, elected on the PTI's ticket, also parted ways with the party during a presser in Multan on Thursday.

He also expressed regret over the 'horrible incidents of May 9 and returned his party ticket, expressing solidarity with the Pakistan Army as the sole defence institution to protect the country.

The former MPA said that he and his group would continue serving the people and added that his next political move would be made after consultation with the close associates.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 26^th, 2023.