ISLAMABAD – Mesmerised with the popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), politicians unhappy with their respective political parties are in close contact with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, but are reluctant to take a final leap to join his party. A PTI source told Pakistan Today on Sunday that several leading politicians from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the PML-Quaid (PML-Q) were in touch with Khan. “Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Salim Saifullah, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Senator Jamal Khan Leghari, Khawaja Khan Hoti, Rana Nazir Ahmed and many others are in touch with Imran Khan and would join us at the right time,” said the source, adding that some former parliamentarians including Marvi Memon and Khurshid Kasuri were also in contact with the PTI chief.“Though Marvi Memon is also mulling her options to launch her own party, she is also in touch with the PTI leadership. Many more are in touch through common friends and we welcome all on board,” the source said.The source said former foreign minister Qureshi was so interested in the PTI that he had sent thousands of his supporters to attend Imran Khan’s rally at Minar-e-Pakistan and even paid for their transport from Multan. He said the parliamentarians willing to join the PTI had told Khan that since they were members of the parliament, they could not switch parties immediately. “However, they have told Imran Khan that they would resign from parliament if he asked them to do so,” added the source.Former ministers:According to a report, 14 former ministers, including Jehangir Khan Tareen and Ishaq Khakwani, also expressed their intention to join the PTI. Tareen, former minister for industries, production and special initiative, said on Sunday that he had informed Imran Khan about other members of his group who were willing to join the PTI.They include Awais Leghari, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Ishaq Khakwani, Jamal Leghari and Sardar Tufail. Most of the 14 former ministers had been members of the PML-Q. They said they would formally announce their loyalty to the PTI after Eidul Adha.
No Opportunism: Another PTI leader said that his party was not banking on opportunist parliamentarians, and rather a new cadre was being searched to replace the country’s existing political leadership. “Although former parliamentarians Mian Azhar, Noor Mohammed Khan Bhabha, Tahir Rashid and others have already joined the PTI, the decision to award party tickets will be taken by a party board after thorough discussions and considering ground facts,” the PTI leader said. The source said that in addition to parliamentarians, Iftikhar Jhagra, Sardar George Faisal Zaman, Sardar Yousaf Ayyub and Parvez Khattak and several other politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were willing to join.PTI Additional Secretary Saifullah Khan Niazi also confirmed that several parliamentarians were in contact with Imran Khan, but the party was not in a hurry to bank all of them. “We would welcome the newcomers, but our ideological workers are our main asset. South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the key areas from where strong politicians are contacting Imran Khan to join the party. People would see major surprises in November, as a number of politicians will join the PTI this month,” Niazi said. He added that the newcomers would include current and former parliamentarians, and former ticket-holders of major political parties called ‘electables’.When asked if those newcomers would include leaders from the PPP, PML-N and PML-Q, Niazi said such people were in the ‘pipeline’ and their PTI membership would be announced accordingly, as Election Commission’s rules prevent members to switch party affiliation. “They will make the announcement when and if needed,” he said without revealing the names of parliamentarians who were planning to join the PTI. He said ‘key electables’ were in contact with the PTI chief and other leaders either directly or through mutual friends, however he refused to disclose their names.
ISLAMABAD – Mesmerised with the popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf (PTI), politicians unhappy with their respective political parties are in close contact with PTI Chairman Imran Khan, but are reluctant to take a final leap to join his party. A PTI source told Pakistan Today on Sunday that several leading politicians from the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), and the PML-Quaid (PML-Q) were in touch with Khan. “Shah Mehmood Qureshi, Salim Saifullah, Sardar Awais Khan Leghari, Senator Jamal Khan Leghari, Khawaja Khan Hoti, Rana Nazir Ahmed and many others are in touch with Imran Khan and would join us at the right time,” said the source, adding that some former parliamentarians including Marvi Memon and Khurshid Kasuri were also in contact with the PTI chief.“Though Marvi Memon is also mulling her options to launch her own party, she is also in touch with the PTI leadership. Many more are in touch through common friends and we welcome all on board,” the source said.
The source said former foreign minister Qureshi was so interested in the PTI that he had sent thousands of his supporters to attend Imran Khan’s rally at Minar-e-Pakistan and even paid for their transport from Multan. He said the parliamentarians willing to join the PTI had told Khan that since they were members of the parliament, they could not switch parties immediately. “However, they have told Imran Khan that they would resign from parliament if he asked them to do so,” added the source.Former ministers:According to a report, 14 former ministers, including Jehangir Khan Tareen and Ishaq Khakwani, also expressed their intention to join the PTI. Tareen, former minister for industries, production and special initiative, said on Sunday that he had informed Imran Khan about other members of his group who were willing to join the PTI.They include Awais Leghari, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Ishaq Khakwani, Jamal Leghari and Sardar Tufail. Most of the 14 former ministers had been members of the PML-Q. They said they would formally announce their loyalty to the PTI after Eidul Adha.
No Opportunism: Another PTI leader said that his party was not banking on opportunist parliamentarians, and rather a new cadre was being searched to replace the country’s existing political leadership. “Although former parliamentarians Mian Azhar, Noor Mohammed Khan Bhabha, Tahir Rashid and others have already joined the PTI, the decision to award party tickets will be taken by a party board after thorough discussions and considering ground facts,” the PTI leader said. The source said that in addition to parliamentarians, Iftikhar Jhagra, Sardar George Faisal Zaman, Sardar Yousaf Ayyub and Parvez Khattak and several other politicians from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa were willing to join.PTI Additional Secretary Saifullah Khan Niazi also confirmed that several parliamentarians were in contact with Imran Khan, but the party was not in a hurry to bank all of them. “We would welcome the newcomers, but our ideological workers are our main asset. South Punjab and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are the key areas from where strong politicians are contacting Imran Khan to join the party. People would see major surprises in November, as a number of politicians will join the PTI this month,” Niazi said. He added that the newcomers would include current and former parliamentarians, and former ticket-holders of major political parties called ‘electables’.
When asked if those newcomers would include leaders from the PPP, PML-N and PML-Q, Niazi said such people were in the ‘pipeline’ and their PTI membership would be announced accordingly, as Election Commission’s rules prevent members to switch party affiliation. “They will make the announcement when and if needed,” he said without revealing the names of parliamentarians who were planning to join the PTI. He said ‘key electables’ were in contact with the PTI chief and other leaders either directly or through mutual friends, however he refused to disclose their names.
