Former Pakistani Prime Minister Imran Khan has revoked the core membership of all the leaders and office-holders who quit the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party in the past few days.
After Khan’s arrest on 9 May, PTI workers and supporters unleashed violent protests, widespread looting and vandalism.
As a result, some senior members of the movement, including General Secretary Asad Omar, Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry, and former federal ministers Shirin Mazari and Aamir Mahmud Kayani, broke away from the party.
Meanwhile, Khan also ordered the removal of defectors who were part of the party’s core committee, Dawn News reports.
They will not be part of PTI’s WhatsApp groups and social media accounts will be updated to edit references for dissidents.
In a separate statement marking the year since PTI workers clashed with police during the Long March towards Islamabad, Khan on Thursday said the leaders and workers of the movement were “currently confronted with the full force of state terrorism”.
“Last year, on May 25th, we began our descent into fascism. While three PDM Long Marches in 3.5 years of PTI government were allowed unimpeded, we faced the full force of state terror.
“Houses were smashed in the middle of the night and PTI office bearers and workers were kidnapped. Then everyone who reached Islamabad faced tear gas, rubber bullets and police brutality.
“Some of us thought it was the one but that was only the beginning. Today the largest and only federal party faces the wrath of state power without any accountability.”
The PTI chief added that “more than 10,000 workers and supporters of PTI are in jail, including the senior leadership and some of them are facing torture while in detention.”
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