Imran Khan Addresses Party Departures, Denies Leaving PTI

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan, in response to the recent exodus of party leaders, held a broadcast talk where he clarified that he was not addressing the people because he intended to leave the PTI. As a wave of party members announced their departure through press conferences, Khan expressed his disappointment at what he referred to as "forced divorces." He noted the pattern of condemning the May 9 events followed by the announcement of leaving the PTI. Additionally, Khan responded to his name being placed on the "no-fly list" by affirming his commitment to remain in Pakistan and dismissing speculations about leaving the country, stating that such concerns mattered only to those with overseas properties.

Following the intense crackdown by the state apparatus in response to the violent protests on May 9, where enraged PTI workers attacked military installations including the Lahore Corps Commanders House and the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi following Imran Khan's arrest, the PTI has faced mounting pressure. Numerous party leaders and thousands of workers have been apprehended in connection with the riots, while the military has emphasized the necessity of trying the individuals involved in the attacks under the Pakistan Army Act and the Official Secrets Act. In the wake of the May 9 vandalism, several prominent PTI leaders and lawmakers, such as Shireen Mazari, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Malik Amin Aslam, Mahmood Moulvi, Aftab Siddiqui, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, Maleeka Bokhari, Mussarrat, and Jamshed Cheema, have publicly condemned the violence and announced their departure from the former ruling party.