Hashim Dogar, the former Punjab home minister who also resigned from the party, is leading this new group, which includes former education minister Dr. Murad Raas.
LAHORE: (UrduPoint/Pakistan Point News-June 5th, 2023) A group of former provincial lawmakers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party, who left following the events of May 9, have formed a new group called the 'Democrats'.
Hashim Dogar, the former Punjab home minister who also resigned from the party, is leading this new group, which includes former education minister Dr. Murad Raas.
Dr. Raas stated that the group intends to maintain its distinct identity and will not align itself with any larger political parties in the country, such as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League Quaid (PML-Q), or the new group being formed by Punjab's influential politician Jehangir Khan Tareen.
The former minister also mentioned that the group does not plan to register with the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP).
The PTI is currently experiencing a significant exodus of members, with prominent figures like Dogar and Dr. Raas leaving the party, while others have chosen to distance themselves from politics altogether.
Dr. Raas expressed surprise at their decision to part ways with the PTI, stating this during a gathering with other leaders, including Pir Ahmad Khagga, Raja Yawar Kamal, and Chaudhry Adnan, who all resigned from the PTI following the riots triggered by Chairman Imran Khan's arrest on May 9.
The former provincial minister attributed the party's current predicament, marked by intense criticism and numerous arrests of leaders and workers nationwide after the riots, to the advisors of the party chairman in Lahore.
"We reject the PTI's politics of violence," declared the former minister.
