Imran’s party braces for swelling of ranks

Twenty-five PML-Q current and former legislators to join the PTI; Tareen group follows suit.

LAHORE:

Imran Khan’s charm is spreading.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) strength will be emboldened with the following new revelations: 25 Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) legislators – sitting and former – will be joining the party. Announcement formalising this will be made on Monday (today) at the Islamabad Press Club, where the PTI chief will be present.

And much-anticipated Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) leader Jehangir Khan Tareen’s group has finally decided to join the PTI ranks as well.

PTI’s Punjab President Ahsan Rashid confirmed this development and said that he was hoping these 25 seasoned PML-Q politicians will strengthen the nascent party.

PML-Q’s Senator Jamal Khan Leghari late on Saturday night made the announcement on micro-blogging website Twitter regarding his decision to join the PTI.

His message stated: “We are joining PTI Insha Allah on Monday around 25 legislators present and ex, tehsil nazims etc by the grace of God”.

Following are the prominent leaders who will be joining ranks with Imran: Senator Leghari, PML-Q MNA Awais Khan Leghari, PML-F MNA Jehangir Khan Tareen, PML-Q former legislators and ministers Sikander Bosan, Ishaaq Khan Khakwani, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Mian Amin Aslam, Aleem Shah, Javed Lund, Mehmood Qadir Leghari and Sardar Tufial, sitting MPA Sardar Amjad Khan Khosa and Mohsin Khan Khosa.

The Leghari family split

While both the Leghari brothers – who are sons of former president of Pakistan Sardar Farooq Khan Leghari – have decided to join the PTI, they failed to take onboard with them the rest of their family who are serving as legislators in either the Punjab Assembly or the National Assembly.

There are a total five seats in the Leghari family including MNA Sardar Muhammad Jaffer Khan Leghari from NA 174, MPAs Sardar Mohsin Leghari and Sardar Muhammad Yusuf Khan Leghari from PP 245 and PP 246, respectively. The late Farooq Leghari’s cousin and former legislator Sardar Maqsood Khan Leghari has already joined the PPP.

Sources in the family told The Express Tribune, although it was a Leghari family tradition to consult Jaffer – former president Farooq’s cousin and uncle of both the Leghari brothers – the two brothers made no such attempt before deciding to join the PTI, causing a split in the family politics. Family sources added that the split in the Leghari family occurred over the issue of resignation of seats.

While Awais and Jamal Leghari did not respond when contacted, Jaffer Khan confirmed that he and the rest of the family have distanced themselves from the PTI.

He said Jamal and Awais had left for Islamabad to join the PTI but he, along with two of his nephews, has not decided to join the party yet.

PML-Q’s Central Information Secretary Kamil Ali Agha told The Express Tribune: “Almost everyone has abandoned the PML-Q and now it’s their own decision to join whoever they want to.”

Jehangir Tareen

Party sources told The Express Tribune that before PTI’s October 30 rally in Lahore, Imran had invited the Tareen group to join his party but they seemed reluctant and were looking more for an alliance.

But after the rally, Tareen’s group had little bargaining power and their Monday decision seems strategically tactful bearing in mind the upcoming December 25 rally in Karachi.

Tareen is now expected to resign from his constituency and his NA 195 seat.

Meanwhile, PTI Punjab President Rashid said that all those who want to join the PTI will have to resign from their seats and wait for general election to contest. He added: “Tareen and Awais will definitely submit their resignations and announce their joining the PTI.”

Sources claimed that singer Abrarul Haq will join the PTI on December 19 in Lahore, former foreign minister Khurshid Kasuri and one of the PML-Likeminded group leaders will individually join the party on December 20.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 19^th, 2011.