MPA Khurram Laghari announces decision to leave PTI hours before long march

• Khurram Laghari claims five more MPAs have decided to leave the party.
• We were shown "something else" but "something else" was seen practically, he says.
• Says they are likely to resign from the assembly as well.

With PTI's long march yet to start and day after DGS ISI and ISPR's press conference, the party's Punjab Assembly lawmaker Khurram Sohail Khan Laghari announced on Thursday that he will be leaving the Imran Khan-led party. 

Speaking to Geo.tv on Friday, Laghari claimed that five more MPAs have decided to leave the PTI. 

We were shown "something else" but "something else" was seen practically, said the MPA.

"It is possible that we might also resign from the assembly," said Laghari. He added that they are likely to resign from the Punjab Assembly in the next three to four days. 

Lahari expressed his concerns regarding the Punjab Assembly cabinet, saying that they should know the criteria for appointing a minister. 

Laghari contested in the 2018 general elections as an independent candidate. He later joined the PTI after the 2018 polls. 

The PTI MPA served as the special assistant to the chief minister during Usman Buzdar's tenure but he was removed from his position in 2020.

More resignations to come from PML-N, not PTI: Fawad Chaudhry

Commenting on the resignation handed over by Ahmad Jawad, focal person of Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif's social media team, PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said: "More resignations will come from PML-N, and not PTI."

He rejected the possibility of PTI MPAs resigning following Laghari's departure from the party.

"The MPAs, whose names were given, have denied quitting PTI," he said, adding that earlier Sheikh Rasheed was rumoured to not participate in the long march, but now he is partaking in it.

He further claimed that at this time, PTI will only be left by the faction that doesn't want to continue politics in the future.

"Only those who want to commit political suicide would leave Imran Khan. Who else would leave otherwise? Unless the rate is too high, which is a separate discussion," Fawad remarked, stressing that the entire party stands with Khan, as people are with him.