Calling deposed prime minister Imran Khan an “irresponsible leader”, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Farrukh Habib on Monday announced parting ways with the former ruling party and joining the Jahangir Tareen-led Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
Addressing a press conference along with IPP leaders in Islamabad, Farrukh termed Imran Khan responsible for the May 9 riots, saying the latter kept “promoting violence and brainwashing youth”.
“Imran Khan did not act responsibly. Youth were brainwashed that institutions were against us. You [Imran] not only brainwashed them but also made them go against your own institutions, your own army,” he added.
Habib resurfaced today along with IPP leaders following his arrest in Gwadar along with his four brothers last month.
PTI Secretary General Omar Ayub Khan had written on microblogging platform, X: “Farrukh Habib, former minister of state and President PTI West Punjab has been abducted by unidentified people a short while ago. The rising trend of abductions of PTI leaders is condemned in the strongest words possible. Leaders are abducted and then made to record statements of leaving PTI and Imran Khan.”
Habib joins the long list of PTI leaders who have left the former ruling party following the May 9 riots, which was declared a “black day” by the then PML-N-led coalition government and the military establishment.
Read more: Farrukh Habib whisked away from Gwadar
The former PTI leader, during today’s presser, said that there had been many protests in front of military institutions in the past but they were never violent.
“You [Imran Khan] brought the people to a point where they were ready to confront their own army. Imran Khan needed to act responsibly but he kept promoting violence,” he added.
He said that May 9 will be remembered as a dark chapter in the history of Pakistan, adding that he did not participate in any protest on that day despite a protest being held in his own constituency in Faisalabad.
More to follow…
