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Pervez Khattak, a senior leader of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, announced his resignation as the party’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) chapter president during a late Thursday press conference.
Speaking in Islamabad, the PTI stalwart cited the prevailing political crisis as the reason for his decision, stating that it had become difficult for him to continue serving in his role.
Khattak mentioned that he would consult with his friends and party colleagues before announcing his future course of action.
This development occurred shortly after PTI President Parvez Elahi’s arrest by anti-corruption officials outside his home in Lahore.
Khattak emphasized that his decision to step down from the party post was made after careful consideration.
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The former defense minister also expressed his condemnation of the attack on military installations that took place on May 9.
In response to the arrest of PTI Chief Imran Khan, party workers and supporters allegedly engaged in acts of vandalism and targeted government and military installations. The government deployed the army to contain the violence and announced that the protesters would be subjected to trial under military laws.
Following the violent incidents, a significant number of PTI workers and leaders have been arrested as part of a nationwide crackdown.
Interestingly, Khattak’s press conference took place after a spokesperson for former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser claimed that they had been unable to reach either Khattak or Qaiser, who had gone to an undisclosed location for a meeting at 11 am.
As rumors circulated suggesting that both leaders might be asked to leave the party, Khattak dismissed such reports during the press conference.
He stated, “The propaganda that is going on is not correct. [I made] the decision after a lot of thought.”
It remains uncertain whether Qaiser has made any decisions about his political future, as he was present at the press conference but did not make any statements before leaving.
Since the May 9 riots, several party leaders, including prominent figures such as Shireen Mazari, Fawad Chaudhry, and Aamir Mehmood Kiani, have distanced themselves from party chief Imran Khan.
In line with his party colleague Asad Umar, who recently resigned from various party positions, including secretary general, Khattak opted to step down solely from his party position while retaining his role as a close aide to the party chairman. He is also part of the negotiating committee formed by Imran Khan to hold talks with the current government and resolve the political deadlock.
