Firdous Ashiq,Murad Raas, Pir Ahmad Khagga, Raja Yawar and Chaudhry Adnan, parts ways with PTI

Blames Khan’s advisers in Lahore for party’s predicament,

Islamabad/Lahore_PTI leader and former special assistant to the Punjab chief minister Firdous Ashiq Awan also announced her exit from the party.

Addressing a press conference, Ms Awan condemned the events that took place on May 9. She claimed that vandalism was planned at Zaman Park.

“A conspiracy was hatched on a foreign agenda aimed at dishonouring country’s institutions and pleasing foreign masters,” she claimed.

Ms Awan said she was parting with the PTI over the party’s violent and terrorist activities.

She said, “I believe that the martyrs’ love and respect for their country are part of our faith. Those who disrespected the martyrs attacked the foundation and ideology of Pakistan.”

Condemning the May 9 violence, she claimed that it was planned at Khan’s Zaman Park residence.

Meanwhile,

As the crackdown on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) continues following the May 9 mayhem, former Punjab education minister Murad Raas has become the latest leader to quit the party.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore on Friday, Raas said no amount of condemnation was enough for what happened on May 9. “We never thought we would part ways with the party,” he said alongside other leaders, including Pir Ahmad Khagga, Raja Yawar Kamal and Chaudhry Adnan.

He laid the blame for the party’s current predicament — facing intense criticism with scores of leaders and thousands of workers arrested across the country following the riots — on Khan’s advisers in Lahore.

“We do not believe in the PTI’s politics of violence,” the former provincial minister said.

Raas said he and other politicians present at the press conference had decided to form a group so work on Pakistan’s progress could continue.