Asif Ali Zardari reaches Lahore to poach PTI deserters

LAHORE: Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) co-chairman and former president Asif Ali Zardari has stepped up efforts to poach Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) deserters ahead of general elections, ARY News reported on Wednesday.

With more than 70 leaders and former lawmakers parting ways with the Imran Khan-led PTI since May 9, the former president has reached Lahore to win over most of the PTI dissidents.

Sources privy to the development told ARY News that Asif Ali Zardari, who is in Lahore now for three days, would welcome a group of south Punjab leaders into his party’s fold today.

Sources told ARY News that more than 15 former lawmakers from South Punjab will announce joining the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) tomorrow. The PTI deserters will make the announcement along with PPP co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari in a press conference.

Sources claimed that the former president will hold a press conference tomorrow at 8:00pm from Makhdoom House in Model Town.

Over 70 PTI leaders and former lawmakers, including Fawad Chaudhry, Shireen Mazari, Aamir Kiyani, Imran Ismail, Ali Zaidi, Abrarul Haq, Amin Aslam, Maleeka Bokhari, Musarrat and Jamshed Cheema, have quit the PTI in light of the May 9 riots.

JKT to announce new party

After a huge exodus from the PTI, the JKT group also mulling over forming a new political party. Important political figures from Sindh, Balochistan, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), are also likely to join the new party.

Tareen is expected to hold a news conference with key political leaders in the coming days during which he is likely to announce the formation of a new political party, they say.

On Monday, senior politician Jahangir Tareen met the former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf provincial minister Aleem Khan for the formation of a new political alliance.

According to sources, Jahangir Tareen and Aleem Khan discussed matters related to the future of the people who have resigned and the making of a new party. Sources revealed that participants of the meeting suggested making a new political party instead of a pressure group as the political party will be able to stand for people’s rights.

Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s Adviser Awn Chaudhry was also present in the meeting, sources said. He the participants of the meeting that more PTI members will leave their party in the coming days and there should be a platform for them.