ISLAMABAD (AP) — In a major blow to Pakistan’s former prime minister and top opposition leader Imran Khan, dozens of his followers quit his party on Monday to launch their own ahead of parliamentary elections expected later this year.
The dramatic development — described as a “political rebellion” within Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party — came two months after violent protests shook the country in early May. Khan’s followers, angered over his arrest in connection with a graft case, rioted for days, attacking public and military installations.
The deadly violence subsided only after Khan was released on an order from Pakistan’s Supreme Court. In the weeks that followed, several top members of Khan’s circle abandoned him, disagreeing with his campaign against the administration of his successor, current Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.
Source : apnews
