ISLAMABAD: Former prominent minister from jailed Imran Khan’s cabinet, Farrukh Habib, has the latest leader to part ways with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and joined the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).
The announcement of this move was made at the IPP headquarters in Lahore earlier today. Farrukh Habib, who was among the founding members of PTI’s student wing, the Insaf Student Federation (ISF), was accompanied by IPP leaders, including Aun Chaudhary.
During his press conference, he accused Imran Khan, who was ousted as the prime minister through a no-confidence motion backed by the Pakistan Democratic Movement in April last year, of manipulating the cipher case for his political advantage. Despite his removal from office constitutionally, Imran has continuously alleged that he was the victim of a US-backed “conspiracy.”
Habib revealed that he had been out of contact with his family for the past twenty days and had not returned home for the past five months. Reflecting on the tragic events of May 9, he explained how everyone was distanced from their homes and trying to avoid legal confrontations.
“In the sequence of situations and incidents, emotions can take you so far that they can become detached from reality. I, too, was a victim of this turmoil,” he stated.
Acknowledging the support he had received, he mentioned, “My true friends helped me realize that this is not a battle between disbelief and Islam.” Regarding the vote of no confidence on April 9, he described it as a constitutional process, saying, “It happens, it happened constitutionally.”
Jehangir Tareen’s IPP Welcomes Farrukh Habib
After the vote of no confidence, Farrukh Habib pointed out a state of unrest among party workers and the citizens of Pakistan caused by the leadership.
“Every time you announced violent protests instead of peaceful ones. We used to endure beatings, but we always called for peaceful protests.”
Farrukh Habib commenced his political career with the Insaf Students Federation (ISF) in 2007 and eventually became a Member of the National Assembly from August 2018 to July 2022, with a role as a Minister of State from April 2021 to April 2022. He was widely regarded as a pioneering member of the ISF.
The Istehkaam-e-Pakistan Party, led by Jehangir Tareen, emerged as a new political entity on June 8, 2023. Tareen, also a former PTI stalwart, unveiled his party with a commitment to national development and a focus on creating a new political narrative dedicated to lifting Pakistan out of its current crises.
