Farrukh Habib quits PTI, joins IPP

Islamabad: Former leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Farrukh Habib parted ways with the party and joined the newly formed Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

Farrukh Habib, while holding a press conference at the office of the IPP in Lahore, said that he was not present in his house for the last five months. After the May 9 incident, we did not face the law. Due to some reasons I have also been disconnected with my family for past three weeks.

He stated: ‘For past five months, I was constantly thinking if I start my political struggle for this politics. We started the struggle to make Pakistan the Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam for real. This is not a war of disbelief and Islam, we brought the country to the level of violence. There was distrust in the constitutional way. I was constantly asking myself the answers to these questions, the process of self-accountability is very important’.

Farrukh continued that no-confidence was constitutional, after which neither we were allowed to sit in peace nor the people. Instead of peaceful resistance, the youth were put on the path of violent resistance. We wanted to make Pakistan the real Pakistan of Quaid-e-Azam, however sometimes you go too far in emotions.

The former PTI leader added that we used to bear violence for ourselves but we did not take up violent resistance. “In 2008 we were working when people asked us that what PTI is. People's minds were hijacked and emotions were stirred up. Politicians are arrested from their homes, they have been arrested before too, Chairman PTI has been constantly giving messages that they are coming to arrest me today or tomorrow”.

He further said that sentiments of innocent people were incited, hate messages were propagated. Imran Khan did not show responsibility, he constantly manipulated and prepared people. Even in PTI government, the opposition faced their cases in the courts.

The IPP leader continued that what happened on May 9 was sad and condemnable. On the day when the situation became tense, I did not protest anywhere, what happened that day will be remembered as a black day. Former Prime Minister wanted people to fight for him, he did not want to be arrested.

Farrukh Habib said that he was sleeping at home when his wife said that PTI chairman has been arrested. Imran Khan brainwashed people in such a way that that they came out to fight against our armed forces. Unfortunately PTI chief kept promoting violence.

Regarding the cypher, he said that the joint declaration of the meeting related to the cypher was issued, it is not a conspiracy, rather an intervention. Pakistan de-marched on the cypher, instead of putting the national interest in front, you made a political statement on it.