Islamabad: Senior leaders of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) were being pressurised by the administration to resign from the party, chairman Imran Khan alleged on Wednesday. His statement comes after a prominent leader of the party and spokesperson, Fawad Chaudhry, left while party general secretary Asad Umar announced that he is quitting his position but will remain with PTI, Agence France-Presse reported.
AFP learnt from rights monitors that the Pakistan administration had detained thousands of Imran Khan supporters or party workers since the violent protest took the stage in many parties of the country after Khan was arrested earlier this month.
Further, the party’s senior president Shireen Mazari parted ways with Khan on Tuesday. All three announced their departures or stepped down after they were released. They were charged with instigating street violence after Khan’s arrest and were detained.
Imran Khan claimed that a crackdown that he had never seen in the history of Pakistan is what is going on there. If one says that they are part of his party PTI, then they will face oppression and violence, along with being locked up, he alleged.
Say the magic words “We are no longer in PTI” to get released, he slammed.
Khan claimed the suppression was being targeted at grassroots supporters, as well as officials.
He said that the government’s suppression is on everyone from grassroots supporters to officials. Everyone got jailed, and he didn’t even know who to contact anymore, Khan lamented through a video address from his home in Lahore.
Chaudhary condemned the civil unrest that happened after Khan’s arrest and declared his resignation on Twitter. He added that he would take a break from politics. Umar made the announcement of stepping down from his office, calling a press conference. He, however, said that non one pressured him to take the decision.