PTI loses more wickets as 3 heavyweights jump ship

• Senator Abdul Qadir Member Punjab Assembly also announces his exit from former ruling party.

ISLAMABAD (Mudasser Chuhdary) – In another shocking development, two prominent Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, Jamshed Cheema and his wife Musarrat Cheema, Maleeka Bokhari, quit party membership and all positions.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Islamabad on Thursday night after they were released from Adiala jail. Leaders expressed their condemnation of the events that occurred on May 9.

“I condemn the events that transpired on May 9. For every Pakistani, the events that took place on May 9 are very painful,” the former member of the National Assembly said in a press conference in Islamabad.

Announcing her “dissociation” from the party, Bokhari said she wasn’t under duress and “no one forced me into making this decision”.

“As a lawyer, I want to play a positive role in Pakistan. I also want to spend time with my family,” she said.

Bokhari quit the party hours after her release from Adiala Jail, where she was sent after being arrested under Section 4 of the Maintenance of Public Order.

In her presser, Bokhari backed the authorities’ decision to investigate the May 9 events and said the people behind the violent events should be punished.

“When a red line has been crossed, then action should be taken in line with the law,” she added.

In a separate press conference, Cheema said he and his wife could not continue with the Khan-led party due to the violence that ensued after the PTI chief’s arrest.

“I was there at the Corps Commander House myself. It saddened me to see what was happening there. The people who were involved in it should be punished,” he said.

He said it is a party’s failure if its workers are violent.

Meanwhile,

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad after being released from Adiala Jail, Jamshed Iqbal Cheema condemned the events that occurred on May 9 following Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman and former prime minister Imran Khan’s arrest.

He said upon hearing the news of Imran Khan’s arrest, I personally arrived at Jinnah House, with no intention of engaging in any form of attack or violence and I found it quite unexpected when individuals entered Jinnah House and engaged in acts of arson and vandalism.

“Those responsible for such actions should be held accountable and face legal consequences,” he said adding that the narrative that unfolded on May 9, which was a result of the senior leadership’s actions, unfortunately, continued due to circumstances beyond our control.

Cheema further said that the events of May had detrimental effects on democracy, politics, and peaceful protests. They not only harmed Pakistan domestically but also tarnished its image globally. In the absence of peaceful protests, the political party’s narrative suffers a setback, leading to losses in its overall message and agenda.

He announced their decision to disassociate from politics, which includes parting ways with PTI, adding that once they step away from politics, any affiliation with the party ceases to exist.

Speaking on the occasion, Musrat Jamshed Cheema expressed that her entry into politics was driven by a desire to contribute to the betterment of the country.

She emphasised that she spoke to Imran Khan 11 times on the phone and knew their calls were being tapped, adding that they didn’t talk about institutions in the telephonic conversation.

Ms Cheema stressed the importance of prioritising the nation’s welfare and rising above personal ego to mitigate the harm inflicted upon the country, urging everyone to unite for the betterment of the nation.

Separately, PTI Senator Mohammad Abdul Qadir also announced his exit from the party as he condemned the May 9 riots and the attack on the Jinnah House. “I will sit as an independent member instead of sitting in the PTI’s benches in the Senate from now on,” he announced.

Meanwhile, former Punjab Assembly members from Bahawalnagar — Mumtaz Ahmad Maharvi and Asif Manzoor Mohal — also joined the list of those quitting the former ruling party. Mohal termed May 9 the “darkest day in Pakistan’s history”.