Imran Khan's close aide Asad Umar resigns as PTI's Secretary General
The Hindu
Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan suffered another jolt as the head of his economic team and one of his close aides Asad Umar resigned from all party positions
Ousted Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan suffered another jolt as the head of his economic team and one of his close aides Asad Umar resigned from all party positions, amid the government's crackdown on the Opposition over the May 9 violence.
Mr. Umar, who was Mr. Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) party's Secretary General, announced stepping down from all party positions shortly after he was released from Adiala Jail on Wednesday (May 24).
"Not possible for me to lead the party under these circumstances. I am resigning as Secretary General and core committee member of PTI," he said at a press conference.
Mr. Umar said he was not resigning from the party offices “under pressure”.
He, however, clarified that he has not left PTI but only resigned from the party positions.
Mr. Umar said that the most dangerous thing that happened on May 9 was that military installations were attacked.
"I think Imran Khan himself has best explained the army’s status in Pakistan. He said that we would have seen a similar fate as Syria’s if it was not for a strong army like ours. Khan said that my country needs my army more than me," he was quoted as saying by the Express Tribune newspaper.