CHAKWAL, Aug 26: Young leaders and workers, who joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) with great enthusiasm, have announced their decision to leave the party in disapproval of the policies of the political party’s high command.

Vice President of PTI’s Labour Wing Punjab Chaudhry Mohsin Hassan Khan and District President of Labour Wing Chakwal Asad Ali Shah, are amongst the many young workers who have decided to leave the party.

Addressing a press conference here on Sunday, Chaudhry Mohsin Hassan Khan said: “We fell for Imran Khan after the Minar-i-Pakistan show. At the time he was principled, and a man of character but as time went on Imran Khan not only backtracked from his ideology but began including characterless politicians into the party.”

He said: “We joined PTI thinking it was a liberal party which could bring real revolution to the country, but now the party has become a right-wing party, and would never bring the change this country so badly needs.”

He added that parties that had formed the Difa-i-Pakistan Council were being welcomed into PTI. He also claimed that the behaviour of Imran Khan and other top leaders towards the workers had been inappropriate.

“I, along with my friends hereby declare to leave the party,” he announced.

Khan said the party lacked discipline, and that it was divided into many smaller groups.

“Shah Mehmood Qureshi has his group while other politicians such as Javed Hashmi, Jahangir Tareen and Arif Alvi have their own,” he claimed.

Asad Ali Shah, while addressing the press conference, said Imran Khan had hurt the feelings and dreams of the youth.  He talked about the party’s initial decision not to make alliances with other parties – due to which Asghar Khan had to merge his party with PTI – and how the policy had now been disregarded. He added that Imran Khan had once called the party of Sheikh Rashid Ahmed a ‘Tanga Party’, whom he has recently allied with.

“The party, Imran Khan and his philosophy have been hijacked,” he added.

He said politicians who were the real problem with the country have now been made an integral part of PTI.

“We joined PTI thinking we would strain our every nerve to work for a prosperous Pakistan under Imran’s leadership, but we were naïve.”