ISLAMABAD – Three additional leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, which is facing challenges, have recently announced their decision to part ways with Imran Khan due to the vandalism that occurred on May 9.

Tariq Mehmood Al Hasan, former special assistant to the prime minister, Malik Khurram Ali Khan, former Member of Provincial Assembly (MPA), and Jamshed Thomas, former Member of National Assembly (MNA), strongly condemned the violent protests that took place on May 9 following Imran Khan’s arrest in the Al-Qadir Trust case. They have now resigned from their positions within the party.

This development is occurring amidst a wave of defections from the former ruling party, prompted by the attacks on sensitive defense and public installations during the riots that lasted nearly three days after the arrest of the party leader earlier this month.

Several prominent figures from the party, including Shireen Mazari, Imran Ismail, Aamir Mehmood Kiani, Ali Zaidi, and Maleeka Bokhari, among others, have already distanced themselves from Khan for the same reason.

Earlier this week, the ousted prime minister, who was removed from power in April of the previous year, filed a constitutional petition in the Supreme Court. The petition challenges the implementation of Article 245 throughout the country, excluding Sindh, and the ongoing crackdown on party workers following the May 9 riots.

In the petition, filed by advocate Hamid Khan, the Federation, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, and other leaders of the ruling alliance, including Nawaz Sharif, Maryam Nawaz, Asif Zardari, Bilawal Bhutto, and Maulana Fazlur Rehman, have been named as respondents.

Imran Khan urged the court to declare the imposition of Article 245 as invalid and to prevent the authorities from arresting party workers and leaders allegedly involved in the destruction of state installations following his arrest on May 9. He referred to the deployment of army troops in support of civil authorities.

The petition also seeks the intervention of the apex court to halt the trial of civilians accused of attacking defense installations in military courts, citing a violation of fundamental rights.

Furthermore, the petition requests the Supreme Court to take action against the “forced separation” of PTI leaders.