Amin Aslam, Imran Khan's environment hero, quits PTI

• Amin Aslam says he did decide to leave the party under pressure.
• Says May 09 incidents left shocked him as workers took law in their hands.
• Party leadership should have conducted an inquiry, says Aslam. 

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leader Malik Amin Aslam announced on Thursday that he will be leaving the Imran Khan-led party as it has been overtaken by an "agenda" which got exposed during May 9 protests. 

The former adviser to then-prime minister Khan made the announcement at a press conference at the National Press Club. 

“May 9 incidents left me shocked [as] party workers took the law in their hands,” said Aslam. He added that wherever the rallies were held the target were military installations.

“Party leadership should have conducted an inquiry. Whoever is pushing this agenda forward is not the party’s well-wisher,” said the climate activist. He added that he can not stay with such an “agenda” while clarifying that he made the decision without coming under pressure. 

PTI leaders have started leaving the party after the incidents that took place across the country following the arrest of Khan from the Islamabad High Court (IHC) on May 9.

A day earlier, leaders Aamer Mehmood Kiani and Sanjay Gangwani jumped on the bandwagon to quit the party following attacks on defence and public installations.

Addressing a press conference in Islamabad, hours after he parted ways with Imran Khan-led PTI over May 9 vandalism, Kiani said he was not only quitting the party but politics as well.

Terming the May 9 vandalism by the PTI protesters as a day of "national tragedy", Kiani expressed regret over the nearly three-day-long riots and unrest across the country that claimed at least 10 lives and left dozens of others injured across the country.

He said he joined the party in 1996 and many of his family members belonged to the Pakistan Army.

He said May 9 attacks on sensitive installations were “very painful” and added that for this reason, he decided to end his 27-year-long association with the party.

Meanwhile, PTI Member of Sindh Assembly (MPA) Sanjay Gangwani also announced leaving the party in protest against attacks on military installations. MPA Karim Gabol has also quit the party.  

Before them, PTI Member of National Assembly (MNA) Mahmood Baqi Maulvi also quit the party citing the same reasons.

The development comes after the high-powered National Security Committee (NSC) endorsed the Corps Commander Conference's decision to hold the trial of arsonists under the Army Act, Official Secrets Act, and other concerned laws under the Constitution.

The NSC, while strongly condemning military installations' acts of arson for the sake of political motives and personal interests, declared to observe May 9 as "Black Day" at the national level.

The participants of the NSC meeting expressed complete solidarity and support for the armed forces. The meeting expressed the resolve that desecration and military installations and public property were intolerable and pledged to bring all the culprits to task.

Earlier, a Special Corps Commanders’ Conference — with Chief of Army Staff General Asim Munir in the chair — had also expressed the resolve to hold the trial of abettors, planners and miscreants involved in attacks on military installations and public property under the Army Act and the Official Secret Act.