In another major blow to Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf, Fawad Chaudhry has announced parting ways with the party.
"My earlier statement where I unequivocally condemned 9th May incidents, I have decided to take a break from politics, therefore, I have resigned from party position and parting ways from Imran Khan," he tweeted announcing his decision.
Chaudahry's resignation comes hours after the federal government announced that it is deliberating a ban on the party after the May 9 violence across the country.
Defence minister Khawaja Asif on Wednesday said that the incumbent government is mulling a possible ban on PTI in light of the May 9 protests against party chairman Imran Khan's arrest in the Al Qadir Trust graft case, reported Pakistan's Geo News.
Last night, Khan’s close aide and former human rights minister Shireen Mazari announced her resignation from the party and her decision to quit “active politics” altogether. The 72-year-old politician, who condemned the actions of Khan’s supporters who attacked and torched sensitive defence installations across Pakistan on May 9, cited “personal reasons” for her retirement, as per a report by Dawn.
Mazari was among the 13 PTI leaders that were arrested under the Maintenance of Public Order ordinance after Khan’s supporters went on a rampage across Pakistan after his arrest. The former Pakistan Prime Minister was arrested by the National Accountability Bureau in the Al Qadir Trust graft case. Khan and his wife Bushra Bibi were alleged that they obtained billions of rupees from a real estate firm for legalising Rs 50 billion.
Following his arrest by the paramilitary Rangers from the Islamabad High Court, his supporters took to the roads and set fire to the house of an army corps commander in Lahore and stormed the army general headquarters in Rawalpindi.