Dozens of followers of Pakistan’s Imran Khan quit his party and launch their own ahead of elections

By MUNIR AHMED
Associated Press

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Dozens of followers of Pakistan’s former prime minister and top opposition leader Imran Khan have quit his party to launch their own ahead of parliamentary elections expected later this year. The dramatic development — described as a “political rebellion” within Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party — came two months after violent protests shook the country in early May. Khan’s followers, angered over his arrest in connection with a graft case, rioted for days, attacking public and military installations. A total of 57 of Khan’s party members — most of them former lawmakers and other well-known politicians — announced on Monday evening that they were quitting the party and forming their own, called Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians.