Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) spokesperson Fawad Chaudhry confirmed on Tuesday that the lawmakers from South Punjab who had parted ways with the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on April 9 are all set to join the PTI.Those who announced to quit the PML-N and joined PTI are former state minister for foreign affairs Bakhtiar, an MNA from Rahim Yar Khan; MNA Tariq Iqbal from Vehari; MNA Muhammad Qasim from Multan; MNA Basit Bukhari from Muzaffargarh; Sardar Dareshak, Saleem Ullah Chaudhry, Alam Dar Laleka and Syed Asghar Ali Shah.
Lawmakers including MNAs, MPAs of the PML-N including leader Khusro Bakhtiar have merged within the PTI. The formal announcement will be made in a joint press conference which will be scheduled soon, sources said.
“The rest of the details will be given out in Islamabad tomorrow,” Chaudhry told Express News.
JPSM spokesperson said deliberations are still underway, though PTI spokesman Chaudhry has announced that agreement has been reached. The biggest concern of the JPSM is to include formation of South Punjab province in first 100 days if PTI wins election.
We have deliberations with Imran tomorrow in which we will try to convince him to put formation of new province on his party’s agenda for first 100 days otherwise there is no use of this alliance, the spokesperson confirmed. Even after agreement if PTI fails to implement the JPSM has no other option to disassociate from the PTI.
More than 15 disgruntled lawmakers parted ways with the PML-N. “The South Punjab leadership will meet with Imran Khan tomorrow and will hold a press conference,” Chaudhry confirmed.
Earlier last month, in a major blow to PML-N, eight legislators parted ways with the ruling party. They also announced launching a mass movement, Junoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaaz, for the sole purpose of making South Punjab a separate province.
“Making South Punjab a separate province is a one-point agenda,” said MNA from PML-N seat Khusro Bakhtiar along with the other disgruntled parliamentarians during a news conference.
Bakhtiar had said: “The poverty rate in South Punjab is over 51 per cent. I admire development in the provincial capital but I cannot forget the pain and sufferings of South Punjab where my ancestors are buried.”
He stated that the time had come to make the dream a reality.
