PTI Karachi president Aftab Siddiqui quit party and politics

KARACHI: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Karachi president Aftab Siddiqui has quit the party and politics as authorities continue to crack down following party chief Imran Khan’s arrest on May 9, ARY News reported on Sunday.

In a statement, Aftab Hussain Siddiqui – who had been a member of National Assembly (MNA) from Karachi – said he has left politics and resigned from the party’s position.

However, he said, he – who is also a businessman – will continue to serve the country and for improvement of the economy in ‘individual capacity’.

“I started my career as a professional engineer”, Siddiqui said, adding that he has built a ‘solid’ reputation in three decades. He further said that he has dedicated his ‘professional success’ to the welfare of the community.

It is pertinent to mention here that several PTI lawmakers and members have parted their ways with the party following the May 9 violence, wherein military installations including General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and Corps Commander House Lahore were attacked after the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.

The first PTI MNA from Sindh to quit the party was Mahmood Moulvi. He announced that he was resigning from the PTI in light of the attacks on military installations during violent protests on May 9 in the country after the arrest of Imran Khan.

“I have never gone against, nor will I ever go against the army,” he said. Moulvi further revealed that he might join a charitable organisation or form a new political party.

Protests

Violent clashes broke out across Pakistan after the former prime minister and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan was arrested from the premises of Islamabad High Court (IHC) last week.

The protests were held in remote and major cities as the party workers are agitated due to their chairman’s arrest, with Balochistan, Punjab, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, and Islamabad summoning the armed forces to ensure law and order.

Army installations and Corps Commander’s house in Lahore came under attack during a protest by PTI workers.