Formerly well-known Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) politician Shafqat Mahmood declared on Sunday that he was leaving politics, but he made it clear that he had made no decision under duress.
“I left a government position 34 years ago to go into politics. However, after careful consideration, I have now chosen to leave politics,” the former federal minister Mahmood wrote in a post on X, the platform that was formerly known as Twitter.
PTI chief Shafqat Mahmood leaves politics without forcing him to
Following the May 9 attacks on state installations, a large number of MPs either fled politics altogether or left the erstwhile ruling party, claiming they were compelled to leave the Imran Khan-founded party.
Leaders such as Fawad Chaudhry, Asad Umar, Shireen Mazari, Fayazul Hassan Chohan, and Maleeka left the PTI, which is currently struggling.
The PTI leadership, which includes a number of fresh faces, has determined that those who have deserted the party would not be welcomed back, despite the fact that several leaders have attempted to re-join the ranks.
Mahmood stated, “There’s no pressure on me [to quit PTI] and neither do I plan on joining any other political party,” adding that his decision was made because of “age” and “time”.
The former federal minister reflected on his decades-long career in politics and said he experienced many highs and lows. “I have served as a member of the Senate and the National Assembly.”
In addition, he claimed to have been appointed as a provincial and federal minister.The now-former leader of the PTI said that during the critical COVID-19 period, he managed education-related matters and implemented the Single National Curriculum for the first time in history in his capacity as federal education minister.