Dr. Shireen Mazari, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan quit PTI over May 9 mayhem

ISLAMABAD, May 23 (SABAH): In a major setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Dr. Shireen Mehrunnisa Mazari and Fayyazul Hassan Chohan on Tuesday announced quitting the Imran Khan-led party which has lost several seasoned leaders in the recent days in the aftermath of the May 9 mayhem.

The development came as several party leaders and lawmakers — including Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam Khan, Mahmood Baqi Moulvi, Faizullah Kamoka, Usman Khan Taraki, Aftab Hussain Siddiqui among others — have publicly denounced the attacks on the state installations and announced leaving the former ruling party since the May 9 vandalism.

Addressing a press conference in the federal capital, Shireen Mazari — the former federal minister for human rights and close aide of Imran Khan — condemned the May 9 riots during which PTI supporters ransacked and torched public and defence installations across the country. “I strongly condemn the May 9 violence. I have always condemned the violence of any kind,” she remarked.

Shireen Mazari said she is not only leaving her party but also politics. “From today onwards, I am not a part of any political party.” The senior PTI leader also said her health deteriorated during the last 12 days of the detention. “My children and parents are [now] my priority,” she remarked. “I condemn violence against state symbols like the GHQ, parliament and the Supreme Court,” she added.

Sharing her ordeal, Mazari said her daughter, Imaan Mazari, had to go through a tough time due to her repeated arrests. “When I was taken to jail for the third time, my daughter was crying a lot, I saw her video.”

The seasoned politician went on to say that she had also submitted an affidavit to the Islamabad High Court (IHC) pledging that she would not become a part of any violent protest in future.

The senior vice president of the former ruling party had been arrested several times during the past few days following the May 9 riots triggered by the arrest of the former prime minister in the Al-Qadir Trust case.

Earlier, she was re-arrested once again after the Gujranwala court approved her bail in a case related to the vandalism and attacks on defence and public installations including Lahore Corps Commander’s House and the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi during the violent protests.

Meanwhile shortly after her presser, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan addressed a press conference at the National Press Club Islamabad and also announced parting ways with the party. “I will continue exposing anti-Pakistan elements. I will say categorically that there was no PTI leader present who could stop workers from violence on May 9,” he remarked.

Opposing Imran Khan’s “anti-establishment” tirade, Chohan said politicians are not supposed to clash with the state institutions. “I had been sidelined in the party for the last one year and even once denied permission to meet Imran Khan in Zaman Park.”

He announced quitting the party saying he will continue serving the country and playing an active part in politics.

He said his family was imbued with the love of army, adding that he would keep uncovering the conspiracies against Pakistan. “No one from the party leadership tried to stop PTI Chief Imran Khan from doing violent politics,” he added.

“It was only me who tried to convince Imran Khan to do non-violent politics,” he said. “Consequently, he was banned from entering Zaman Park after he was granted the designation of media adviser by Imran Khan,” he added.

He went on to say that he had conveyed a message to Imran Khan to keep his struggle purely political instead of targeting institutions. “I told Imran Khan that the people around you are not advising you right,” he added.

PTI bigwigs including Fawad Chaudhry, Alia Hamza, Murad Saeed, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema, Dr. Shireen Mazari, Ali Amin Gandapur and Dr. Shahbaz Gill kept advising Imran Khan to stand against the army, adding that he was not allowed to even sit in the PTI’s core committees. “Imran Khan did not even tweet a single line condemning attacks on houses of members of his family,” he added.

Imran Khan was told by other party leaders that he [Chohan] was affiliated with the army, he said. Fayyazul Hassan Chohan continued by saying that he was not left to face his opponents in the assembly, adding that former Punjab CM Parvez Elahi saved his dignity by appointing him his spokesperson. “During December to Jan 2021, all ministers were conniving to oust Imran Khan and former Punjab CM Buzdar from power,” he revealed. Whenever he tried to speak out, he was given a shut-up call every time, he complained. “Imran Khan appointed Amir Kiani to spread the news that Chohan would not be given PTI ticket,” he added. He said he would call on PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Asad Umar, and Parvez Elahi after few days. “We shall serve the country through a new platform,” he added.