Islamabad, May 18, (dpa/GNA) – At least two dozen lawmakers from the party of Pakistan’s former prime minister Imran Khan have switched their allegiances amid a stand-off with the nation’s powerful military, in a blow to the populist leader’s bid to seek another term.
A group of 10 former lawmakers announced on Thursday they would quit Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party, objecting to his hardline stance against the military.
The step comes after a dozen influential federal and provincial politicians parted ways with Khan when his supporters stormed the military’s headquarters and other army compounds last week.
The protests broke out after Khan was arrested on graft charges for the first time since his removal through a parliamentary vote of confidence last year.
Khan won a controversial election in 2018 with the support of the military but fell out with the generals three years later. He blamed the army chief for ordering his arrest.
“We condemn the attack on the army. We don’t support anybody who takes the political difference that far,” said Niaz Gishkori, one of the lawmakers departing from Khan’s party.
Pakistani generals have ruled the country for decades and wield extensive political power.
The influential lawmakers, especially from rural and semi-urban regions, enjoy strong backing in their local constituencies. Their support is vital for any party to form a government.
All of the lawmakers had flocked the Khan’s party before the 2018 elections, allegedly at the military’s behest.
“It seems the trend is being reversed now,” political analyst Absar Alam said in a commentary broadcast on television.
GNA