- Maulvi also announces his resignation from the National Assembly.
- Demands PTI announce that those involved in riots will be punished.
- “We can change political parties, but we cannot change our military.”
National Assembly (MNA) member Mahmood Baqi Maulvi, who was elected on a Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket, announced on Tuesday that he would be leaving the party following nationwide riots following the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.
Khan was arrested by the Rangers on 9 May from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) premises on the orders of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). After his arrest, the party’s supporters wreaked havoc for days in almost the entire country attacks on military installations.
At a press conference in Karachi, Maulvi announced his resignation from the lower house of parliament and his departure from the PTI. “We can change political parties, but we cannot change our military. I have never opposed the military and will not do so in the future,” he stressed.
He also shared that before May 9, party officials had discussed going to General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi in case Khan was arrested.
“I told them we shouldn’t fight the army because there is no reason to.”
Maulvi said he did not know and was not part of the people participating in the violent protests, adding that the actions of those involved in the riots were “indefensible”.
“It is not allowed to fight the army anywhere,” he added.
He further clarified that he would not be joining any other political party. Instead, he would create a welfare organization or a new party.
Maulvi also demanded that the PTI announce that it would punish all those involved in the riots.
The MNA’s announcement comes days after irate PTI workers raised the stakes following the arrest of Khan – who has criticized the army since his ouster last April – and attacked a gateway to the armed forces’ headquarters and other installations.
The situation stabilized after Khan was released by court order.
After being released on bail, the party chief insisted that his workers do not incite violence and distanced the PTI from them.
A day earlier, the military’s top vowed to bring protesters and their supporters to justice under relevant laws, including Pakistan’s army law and official secret law, following the attacks on military installations on May 9, which the military called “black day.”
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