ISLAMABAD: PTI leader, MNA Aamer Mehmood Kiani, quit the party on Wednesday as the government continues to look for suspects wanted over attacks on the army following last week’s arrest of former premier Imran Khan.

Mr Kiani, a former federal minister and PTI’s additional secretary general, told reporters in Islamabad that May 9 — when Mr Khan’s arrest triggered violent countrywide protests — was a black day in the history of Pakistan and that attacks on army installations, especially the GHQ and Jinnah House, had “hurt him”.

The riots were an attempt to trigger a sort of ‘Arab Spring’ in Pakistan, he said, referring to a wave of pro-democracy protests and uprisings that took place in the Middle East and North Africa in 2010 and 2011.

Mr Kiani, who belongs to Rawalpindi, said he had not only left the PTI but had also quit politics as “I never believed in that sort of politics”. He said he would not join any other party.

“Pakistan’s future is linked with the army and a deliberate effort is being made to damage the army,” he said. “In Arab Spring, armies were damaged to take control of countries. It is a dangerous move, and I cannot become part of it as I belong to a family which has given life to the army and served in it.”

Replying to a question, Mr Kiani said he had not visited Lahore for over one and a half months as he was not allowed to enter Imran Khan’s Zaman Park residence and meet him when he paid a visit the last time.

“I joined the PTI in 1996 and have given 27 years of my life to it. I am hurt because of the incident of May 9. Although several cases under the ATA [Anti-Terrorism Act] have been registered against me, I never cared about it,” he said.

When asked if he was quitting the party because of corruption allegations while he was a health minister, he said those cases had already been closed and there was nothing against him as they were political cases.