Two PPP leaders from South Punjab defect to PTI

ISLAMABAD: Two more leaders from Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP) on Wednesday announced to join Imran Khan-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

A veteran politician and former PPP minister Mohammad Moazim Jatoi from Muzaffargarh besides Amir Yar Waran from Bahawalpur are two senior PPP leaders from South Punjab who announced to join PTI yesterday.

Jatoi represents NA-179 and contested the 2013 general elections on a PPP ticket and managed to secure 73,199 votes against the winning candidate of PML-N’s Makhdoomzada S B A Sultan, who obtained 110,197 votes.

However, he had won this NA seat in 2008 general elections after defeating the Pakistan Muslim League-Q (PML-Q)’s Makhdoomzada Syed Basit Ahmed Sultan by a margin of more than 19,000 votes.

Another former PPP lawmaker from South-Punjab’s Bahawalpur, Amir Yar Waran defected to PTI. Although he was disqualified in 2010 by the Lahore High Court (LHC) on ground of having a fake degree but belongs to an influential family which has a good hold on politics in the rural areas of Bahawalpur.

Following his disqualification, Waran had fielded Khadeeja Amir to contest the 2013 general elections who stood runner-up by securing 64,175 votes on PPP ticket, losing to PML-N’s Mian Najibuddin Awaisi, who obtained 94,429 votes.

The duo has expressed their full confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan after having a meeting with party chairman at Bani Gala.

Last month, another senior leader Babar Awan parted ways with the PPP and formally announced to join the PTI.