LAHORE , May 23, 2023: In another blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Fayazul Hassan Chohan on Tuesday announced leaving the party.
It makes him the second high-profile leader after Shireen Mazari who left the party. Earlier, Ms Mazari had been detained for the fifth time in 10 days, even though the court had granted her bail.
Speaking to the media, he said his family was imbued with the love of army, adding that he would keep uncovering the conspiracies against Pakistan. “No one from the party leadership tried to stop PTI chief Imran Khan from doing violent politics,” he added.
“It was only me who tried to convince Mr Khan to do non-violent politics,” he said. “He was banned from entering Zaman Park after he was granted the designation of media adviser by Mr Khan,” he added.
He went on to say that he had conveyed a message to Mr Khan to keep his struggle purely political instead of targeting institutions. “I told Mr Khan that the people around you are not advising you right,” he added.
PTI bigwigs including Fawad Chaudhry, Alia Hamza, Murad Saeed, Musarrat Cheema, Shireen Mazari and others kept advising Mr Khan to stand against the army, adding that he was not allowed to even sit in the PTI’s core committees. “Mr Khan did not even tweet a single line condemning attacks on houses of members of his family,” he added.
Mr Khan was told by other party leaders that he [Chohan] was affiliated with the army, he said.
Mr Chohan continued by saying that he was not left to face his opponents in the assembly, adding that former CM Parvez Elahi saved his dignity by appointing him his spokesperson. “During December to Jan 2021, all ministers were conniving to oust Mr Khan and former Punjab CM Buzdar form power,” he revealed.
Whenever he tried to speak out, he was given a shut-up call every time, he complained.