Asad Qaiser, a high-ranking Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) member, stated on Monday that he remains loyal to his party and continues to communicate with Chairman Imran Khan.
Qaiser, the former speaker of the National Assembly, made these comments as he attended a court hearing in Islamabad relating to a vandalism case outside the city’s judicial complex.
The press had been speculating about Qaiser’s standing with the PTI, especially after a joint press conference where Pervez Khattak, former PTI Khyber Pakhtunkhwa president, announced his resignation from his party positions. During this event, Qaiser was present but didn’t speak, leading to confusion about his intentions. Khattak pointed to the chaos on May 9 as the main reason for his resignation.
Several PTI leaders have left the party, criticizing the violent incidents that occurred that day, including assaults on government and military facilities by furious supporters.
Read: Asad Umar Denies Any Contact with Jahangir Tareen Amid Party Defections
In his Islamabad press conference, the former defense minister admitted his struggle to continue as the party’s KP chapter president, given the current political turmoil. Khattak indicated that he would reveal his future political path after consulting with friends and colleagues within the party.
However, when questioned about his current position within PTI, Asad Qaiser asserted, “I am with Tehreek-e-Insaf and in touch with chairman PTI.” In response to inquiries about any contact with Jahangir Tareen, who is forming a new political party predominantly made up of PTI defectors, Qaiser denied any interaction with Tareen.
Furthermore, Qaiser reaffirmed his allegiance to PTI when questioned about Fawad Chauhdry’s allegations. Chauhdry, the former information minister and party spokesperson, had claimed he had been in contact with Qaiser and other party leaders.
