Imran's close aide jumps ship as noose tightens around party

Lahore, May 17 In a major blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), former federal minister and close aide of party chief Imran Khan, Aamer Mehmood Kiani, announced on Wednesday that he is quitting politics after reports emerged that the party was involved in the May 9 vandalism during which military installations were also attacked, media reports said.

"I am not only leaving PTI, but also quitting politics," Kiani was quoted as saying by The News.

The former health minister is the second PTI leader to jump ship after member of the National Assembly (MNA), Mahmood Baqi Maulvi, the report said.

Kiani was elected from the NA-16 constituency on a PTI ticket in 2018 and was considered a close aide of the PTI chief. He was also the former president of PTI's North Punjab chapter.

On Tuesday, Maulvi, who was elected on a PTI ticket from Karachi, announced that he is leaving the party following countrywide riots after PTI chairman Imran Khan's arrest.

Khan was arrested from the premises of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9 by the rangers on the warrants of the National Accountability Bureau (NAB). Following his arrest, the party's supporters wreaked havoc across the country and even attacked military installations.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Maulvi said, "We can change political parties but we cannot change our army. I have never gone against the army nor will I do it in the future."

He also shared that the party workers had been discussing before May 9 that they would go to the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi in case Khan was arrested.

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