PTI suffers major blow as Shireen Mazari, Fayyaz Chohan quit over May 9 mayhem

In a major setback for the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Shireen Mazari and Fayyazul Hassan Chohan 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, Mahmood Moulvi and Aftab 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, Mazari — the former federal minister and close aide of 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.

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.