Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Secretary General Asad Umar has announced that he is leaving the party post.
“I am stepping down as PTI secretary general. I am grateful to the workers, supporters and leaders for their cooperation,” the former federal planning minister said while addressing a press conference Wednesday night.
Asad Umar condemned the events of May 9 and raised the demand for a transparent investigation.
"Strong action should be taken against the persons involved in May 9 riots," Asad Umar said, stressing that a number of innocent people have also been detained and he made an appeal for saving them from being fallen victim to injustice.
He called for holding political dialogue to solve the problems plaguing the country, saying: “All the stakeholders are on the same page on this matter. The state pillars and friends of the county wanted political leadership to find a way to overcome the financial and political challenges. Everyone should play their due role.”
"The judiciary is divided, Asad Umar said, adding that the entire nation has noticed. He said the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) is a political reality.
The country needs the army more than Imran Khan, he said, adding that national problems should be resolved through political dialogue.
The military is not a group of three or four people whose name makes headlines and is discussed in talk shows, he stressed.
The ex-minister held the press conference after his release from the Adiala Jail. The PTI leader was freed from jail following the order of the Islamabad High Court (IHC) that set aside the detention order under the Maintenance of Public Order Ordinance.
Asad Umar was taken out of the prison from the colony gate of Adiala Jail as, according to sources, the media was present at the main gate. In the written order, the IHC ruled Asad’s lawyer submitted an affidavit assuring the court that his client would not violate Section 144 and he will not join any of his party's processions in violation of Article 144. The court also ruled Asad Umar's tweets were not incitement to violence.
Asad was taken into custody on May 10 – a day after the PTI members took to the streets to vent their spleen over the arrest of ex-PM Imran Khan. The angry protesters damaged public property and sensitive installations. They stormed GHQ in Rawalpindi, Corps Commander House in Lahore and Radio Pakistan in Peshawar. Innocent people lost their lives and the violence left a trail of devastation.