Former human rights minister and prominent member of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Shireen Mazari announced her resignation from the party and her retirement from active politics on Tuesday, citing personal reasons.
Following her decision, there were speculations that PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi would also leave the party. However, Qureshi, who was rearrested by the Punjab Police outside Adiala Jail shortly after his release, affirmed his commitment to the PTI, stating that he would remain a member of the party.
The Islamabad High Court had initially ordered Qureshi’s release after he submitted an affidavit condemning the protests that occurred on May 9. The PTI party confirmed his rearrest and quoted him as saying, “I am with the party, I will stay with the party.”
In a separate development, Fayyazul Hassan Chohan, a former provincial minister and PTI member, announced his departure from the PTI after strongly criticizing party leader and former prime minister Imran Khan. Chohan clarified that while he was leaving the party, he would not be exiting the political arena.
During a press conference in Islamabad, Chohan made allegations against Imran Khan, claiming that Khan had instructed PTI supporters to approach military installations during a rally held on May 1. Chohan also criticized several PTI leaders for pursuing anti-army policies.
These recent events highlight significant changes within the PTI party, as Shireen Mazari retired from active politics, Shah Mahmood Qureshi reaffirmed his loyalty to the PTI, and Fayyazul Hassan Chohan announced his departure from the party while remaining active in politics. The PTI faces internal challenges as key members make crucial decisions that may impact the party’s future.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan described the developments as “forced divorces”.
“We had all heard about forced marriages in Pakistan but for PTI a new phenomenon has emerged , forced divorces,” he said in a tweet, while wondering over silence of all the human rights organizations of the country.
The government’s spokesperson Marriyum Aurangzeb said the PTI leaders left the PTI as they realized that Imran Khan was a “thief of Toshakhana, liar, foreign agent and a robber of Rs 60 billion in the Al-Qadir Trust case”.
Michael Kugelman, an analyst and scholar on South Asian affairs, has reacted to Shireen Mazari’s decision to quit the PTI, saying, ““The establishment continues to tighten the screws on the party on all levels.”
In a tweet, he also said Mazari leaving the PTI was a “big blow to the party.
“Other party leaders have resigned under pressure in recent days, but none as senior and visible as her.”
