Imran Khan calls for immediate talks with Pak government amid row: report
The crackdown began on Imran Khan and his party after May 9 violence across the country.
Islamabad:
Former Pakistani Prime Minister and President of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Imran Khan, on Friday called for immediate talks with state officials. It comes as pressure mounts on him amid a crackdown on his top aides and supporters that has seen thousands of arrests as well as scores of departures from his party, Pakistani newspaper The Express Tribune reported.
The crackdown began earlier this month when Imran’s supporters were involved in violent protests after his brief arrest on May 9.
“I would like to call for talks because what is happening now is not a solution,” Imran said in a live lecture broadcast on YouTube, warning that the country was heading towards anarchy, according to The Express Tribune. .
Political unrest deepened as Pakistan faced its worst economic crisis in decades. Inflation was at record highs, economic growth was anemic, and there were fears that the country could default on its external debts unless the International Monetary Fund released deferred disbursements.
Meanwhile, three Pakistani Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders announced their resignation from the Imran Khan-led party on Thursday. With that, a huge list of leaders deserted the party after the May 9 riots, Geo News reported.
Maleeka Bokhari at a press conference in Islamabad said, “I condemn the events that unfolded on May 9. For every Pakistani, the events that unfolded on May 9 are very painful.
Announcing her “dissociation” from the party, Bokhari said she was not under duress and “no one forced me to make this decision”.
Cheema, in a separate press conference, said he and his wife could not continue with the Khan-led party due to violence following the arrest of the PTI leader.
“I was at the corps commander’s house myself. It saddened me to see what was going on there. Those involved should be punished,” he said.
He said it is the failure of a party if its workers are violent.
Former Pakistani Finance Minister Asad Umar has also stepped down as Secretary General of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). Umar’s announcement came shortly after his release from prison in Adiala, Pakistan, The Express Tribune newspaper reported.
Umar announced his decision during a press conference at the National Press Club in Islamabad on Wednesday.
“It is impossible for me to lead the party under these circumstances. I am resigning as general secretary and member of the central committee of the PTI,” he said at the press conference.
(Except for the title, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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