Desertions from the PML-N continued on Thursday as six MNAs — two from Punjab and four from Balochistan — and two members of Punjab Assembly quit the party to join Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Balochistan Awami Party (BAP).
MNA Raza Hayat Harraj from Khanewal and Rana Umar Nazir from Gujranwala formally announced to join the PTI after a meeting with party chief Imran Khan at his Banigala residence, DawnNewsTVreported.
Moreover, members of Punjab Assembly Abdul Razzaq Khan Niazi and Raheela Yahya Munawar also announced to join PTI at Imran Khan's Banigala residence.
Meanwhile, four MNAs from Balochistan — Jam Kamal Khan, Dostain Domki, Khalid Magsi and Khalil George — announced to join the newly formed BAP. Khan, Domki and Magsi had announced quitting PML-N last month.
"We have decided in principle to quit the party over its policies [of injustice] towards Balochistan", Khan, a former state minister and MNA from Lasbela told a press conference at Quetta Press Club on Thursday evening.
"Balochistan Awami Party will strive for the acquisition of rights of people of Balochistan in a political way," BAP leader Saeed Hashmi said.
The MNAs defecting the ruling party lashed out at its policies and vowed to defend the rights of people of Balochistan.
"The ruling party ignored Balochistan and always accommodated its coalition partners here," Khan said.
