KARACHI, Oct 24: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf suffered another major setback on Friday with more than a dozen office-bearers of its Karachi chapter announcing a parting of the ways with the party.

They maintained that the party chief, Imran Khan, had joined hands with the forces that had never practised democracy while being in power.

Speaking at a press conference at the Karachi Press Club, TI city chief Amanullah Paracha, along with other office-bearers and like-minded partymen, accused Imran Khan of associating himself with the ‘unprincipled’ opposition forces and pursuing policies that contradicted with the party’s manifesto.

Mr Paracha was full of praise for government policies but stopped short of indicating clearly that he and his associates would soon be joining the unified PML. However, when asked about their choice in this regard, they said that they were still to decide over a switch over as they were, at the moment, waiting for Maulana Ehteramul Haq Thanvi’s return from abroad. We would make our decision public after consulting Maulana Thanvi who is on a Tableeghi mission these days, they said.

Regarding other grievances that led them to quit the TI, Mr Paracha pointed out that despite the passage of seven years since it was founded, the TI failed to convene a single party convention. Nor has the party held public meetings in any city except Karachi, he added.

Replying to a question, Mr Paracha clarified that neither he nor any of his colleagues faced suspension from the party membership or had ever been accused of corruption.

He claimed that the Seraiki Ittehad Tehreek of Muhammad Qasim, Patni Welfare of Muhammad Hanif Patni, Kachchi community led by Muhammad Shabbir as well as Hazara Qaumi Ittehad and Baloch Pakhtoon Ittehad had also decided to withdraw their support to the TI.