Three more PTI officials have defected.
The resignations of Amir Kiani, Sanjay Gangwani, and Karim Gabol come just one day after those of Mahmood Maulvi.
KARACHI/ISLAMABAD:
MNA Aamer Mehmood Kiani, Sindh legislators Sanjay Gangwani, and Karim Gabol all announced their resignations from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) after law enforcement tightened their noose on those responsible for the widespread vandalism on May 9.
Senior leader Mahmood Baqi Maulvi also resigned from the party the day before, claiming disagreements with the party’s position towards the country’s military.
In view of the current turmoil caused by the violent protests that occurred around the country after the detention of PTI party leader Imran Khan, Kiani officially announced his decision to retire from PTI and quit the political sector altogether at a news conference in Islamabad.
Kiani called the protests on May 9 spearheaded by PTI supporters a “national tragedy” and voiced his disapproval. He apologized for the widespread violence that occurred over the course of three days and resulted in ten deaths and countless injuries.
After 27 years of service, the former PTI extra secretary general left the party due to the “painful” attacks on key sites.
As Kiani put it, “After Allah, our survival is dependent on the army as our soldiers are sacrificing their lives.”
He publicly resigned from his basic membership of the party after expressing sadness for the attacks on the Lahore Corps Commander House and General Headquarters in Rawalpindi.
Meanwhile, PTI MPA Sanjay Gangwani announced his retirement from the party, citing the attacks on military sites as his cause.
Reportedly, another member of the Sindh provincial legislature, Karim Bux Gabol, has also left the troubled party for the same reasons.
After the National Security Council (NSC) approved the Corps Commander Conference’s decision to prosecute the attackers under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act, several high-ranking officials resigned in protest.
The NSC issued a forceful criticism of the politically driven arson attacks by declaring May 9 a “Black Day” on a national scale.
Top military brass met recently for a Special Corps Commanders’ Conference, presided over by Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir, and came to a unanimous decision to pursue legal action under the Army Act and the Official Secrets Act against those responsible for attacks on military and public property.
