After PTI leaders\u2019 exodus
\nPTI chief reiterates he would step back if people in power can convince him that it would be beneficial for Pakistan
\nIslamabad
\nPakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Wednesday he is ready to speak to \u201canyone who is in power\u201d after his party\u2019s top leaders began jumping ship following the May 9 riots.
\n\u201cI am forming a committee. It will talk to \u2018anyone who is in power\u2019 on two things \u2014 if it helps the country according to \u2018them\u2019, I will leave politics. Second, how is it beneficial for the country if elections are held in October,\u201d Khan said while addressing his supporters.
\n\u201cConvince us on these two things. If they believe and satisfy the committee that my leaving politics will benefit the country, I will step back and leave politics,\u201d he said.
\nA slew of leaders has been leaving the PTI after party workers ransacked and burnt military installations, including the General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi, following Khan\u2019s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case earlier this month.
\nThe latest setback the party suffered was earlier today when outspoken PTI Senior Vice President Fawad Chaudhry said he was parting ways with Khan, just a day after Shireen Mazari, who held the same post, quit.
\nAs many as 30 PTI leaders \u2014 from all four provinces \u2014 have left and more are expected to follow suit, with thousands of workers behind bars for their alleged involvement in the vandalism.
\nWithout specifying, the former prime minister said \u201cthey\u201d have benefitted from the arson at the Lahore Corps Commander House (Jinnah House) and used it to crack down on his party.
\n\u201c[Such] a crackdown has never been seen in the history of the country,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cThey have jailed the entire leadership and even those who are not even a part of the party. There is only one way out, that they utter the magic words of \u2018I am leaving PTI\u2019.\u201d
\n\u2018Hide\u2019
\nPTI leaders \u2014 Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Maleeka Bokhari, Musarrat Jamshed Cheema, and others \u2014 have been rearrested minutes after they were released on bail. Meanwhile, law enforcers are still arresting the suspects in the cases.
\nIn light of these fears, Khan said he has advised his people to go into hiding.
\n\u201cI am telling my workers and office bearers that there is no need for you to come out. Don\u2019t stay at your home, hide,\u201d Khan \u2014 who was ousted from power in April last year \u2014 said.
\nBut he asked the nation to not give in to pressure and ensure that they would keep fighting for the country\u2019s survival, as it faces uphill tasks on several fronts, especially the economy.
\n\u201cI am ready for anything they throw at me. I will fight till the last ball.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
After PTI leaders\u2019 exodus PTI chief reiterates he would step back if people in power can convince him that it would be beneficial for Pakistan Islamabad Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan said Wednesday he is ready to speak to \u201canyone who is in power\u201d after his party\u2019s top leaders began jumping ship following the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":301661,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2833],"class_list":{"0":"post-333276","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-top-news","8":"tag-imran-khan"},"yoast_head":"\n