LAHORE:
The race between two former foreign ministers, Khurshid Mehmood Kasuri and Sardar Assef Ahmad Ali, to join Imran Khan’s party ended on Tuesday with Kasuri announcing that he joins the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Kasuri, who was once an important leader of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s Likeminded Group, announced at a public rally that he has individually decided to join hands with Imran Khan.
“Pakistani youths fully support PTI Chairman Imran Khan and this popularity among the youth has forced me to join the party,” he said.
Sources within the PTI told The Express Tribune that although Kasuri had technically joined the party ‘unconditionally’, he has requested Khan to take him into his party before former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ali joined the PTI.
Sources added that there was a ‘covert’ race between Kasuri and Ali over joining the PTI first — both desiring an earlier admission and a bigger joining ceremony into the party by Khan.
The Express Tribune has learnt that Kasuri had already informed Khan that his faction in the PML-Q Likeminded Group, including Hamid Nasir Chattha and the likes, had decided against joining the party.
Sources added that Kasuri had two major reasons to join the PTI.
Firstly, Kasuri took into account the preference of his students who are studying in his private chain of schools (Beaconhouse and The City School) in which 90 per cent youth favoured Khan’s party and expressed the desire that their administration align itself with the PTI.
Secondly, the youth popularity of PTI was something the former foreign minister could not ignore. It was revealed that Khan agreed to the understanding and promised Ali that he would receive the second big joining ceremony after Kasuri’s.
Ali is currently the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) MNA from Kasur. He served as the foreign minister in the PPP government earlier and is expected to join the PTI soon.
Khan while addressing Kasuri’s reception said that the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) came to power several times but did nothing for the public. He vowed that the PTI would foil PML-N’s attempt to come to power again.
“The PTI will clean sweep the upcoming general elections,” said Khan.
Meanwhile, PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qurashi said that President Asif Ali Zardari and Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani should realise that time for them to hang their boots had arrived.
Khan will address a ceremony in Islamabad on December 21 (today) where former and sitting members of different political parties hailing from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa will join the PTI. On December 22, Khan will visit Multan where the PTI’s vice chairman’s younger brother will also join the party.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 21st, 2011.
COMMENTS (40)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
join pti
wow!!!!! DANCING ........00
All the spring chickens are flocking the PTI as the party of youngs and clean people. In no time PTI would be worse than King's Party. When well before elections this is the extent of politcal bargaining and lotaism what would happen after the elections when compromises have to be made to form federal and provincial govt?
Please try to understand the fact that you can not ignore the ground reality of Pakistani politics.you must need electables to come into power and only then u can change the system if u really want to .only sloagans of clean politics sound nice but in reality you can never change the system if you do not compromise just a little bit.remember sulleh hudabiah when Prophet PBUH have to compromise on the lesser of the evil.love u all who support pti and want a positive change in Pakistan.
@Saba :
Let's join hands together and Force IK to bring new faces ahead. I think we should sign an Online petition to forward it to PTI via PTI Website so Mr Khan can read it and see youth is not too happy with these vadairas.To some extent Khan's decision is right to get winning canditates as long as they accept PTI agenda and PTI do not compromise on its policies of changing the system but still we need to see new faces.
Same old tacticts of the establishment.....another King's Party in the making. Where are the champions of PTI with 'Change-New Faces'....'Anti Establishment' 'Against Inherited Politics' slogans. Well said by Nazir Naji...."it took 2 years to Musharraf to form Q-League and 10 years to Imran Khan to form Q-PTI League" Lets see who's next......Marvi Memon, Ijaz ul Haq or our beloved Shaikh Rasheed (the new faces of Pakistan)
@Eldorado: asef ahmed ali was not in musharrafs party ..
@Sahir Decoration: They are armchair revolutionaries
Ilove IK
Yes, it was hilarious. On one side you had IK being so sanctimonious and quoting from Hadith ... and getting all the rot from q league...
And then you had all these other guys poaching plastic chairs....
@ihtisham: Pakistan doesn't need shockwave or earthquakes or tsunamis, all it needs is a soft revolution in the hearts and minds of all the players including political parties. Its also important not tolabel any party as coward or corrupt. As far as IKs status of being non corrupt is concerned, it is important to note that he has never been at the helm of a government. Only time will test and tell as all decisions he would make would be full of compromises, like the ones he is doing now.
@ihtisham: Pakistan doesn't need shockwave or earthquakes or tsunamis, all it needs is a soft revolution in the hearts and minds of all the players including political parties. Its also important not tolabel any party as coward or corrupt. As far as IKs status of being non corrupt is concerned, it is important to note that he has never been at the helm of a government. Only time will test and tell as all decisions he would make would be full of comprises, like the ones he is doing now.
I think we must give credit to PTI . Clean politics is main agenda of PTI and they almost clean PMLQ with dirty politician and as they are progressing on can say the will clean all the political parties with in the six month . keep it up good work PTI
When I first read the headline I thought kasuri had taken up jogging!
@Danish: Young blood lol
Why is everyone taking up such little issues and making them look so big? What new faces do people want to see? those faces who will not even get a single vote? If you want IK as the next PM, let him do his work. He has changed minds! Maybe those similar faces getting inducted have their minds and hearts changed. We dont want the same people governing us over and over again, We want IK coz he is the CHANGE! and its the leadership which makes sure that the followers follow what has been made clear in the party agenda.
SUPPORT IK and give someone new and someone who has worked so hard a CHANCE! We have seen the old faces ruining everything over and over again, dont let it happen again!!
Who will protect Mazar e Quaid from PTI jalsa attendees? I am extremely worried about the white marble tiles
Ridiculous to see all "fair weather friends" joining Immi bhai. Where were they, when Imran was struggling all alone? And now, when they realize that establishment is behind Imran, all of them are jumping in with geat zeal.
From the dream of change on Oct 30 to the nightmare of havoc yesterday. The faces joining pti now are not only old but are shady as well. What a transformation, what a dissapointment.
This is the FOURTH party he has changed in his politiacal career. PTI should not have accepted him.
I loved the way people took away the chairs
@ samira khan: pervaiz rashid has taken the chairs for counting .The PTI tsunami will wash away the corrupt and incompotent parties. Get ready for the tsunami on the 25th of December!! It will send another earthquake through the political landscape in Pakistan, just like Lahore!!
Whatever, Return our chairs first !
Race to join PTI begins..Salute to IK for his 15 years struggle. Love u PTI
Weldone, you made the right choice..This time in election the most pleasing fact is peoples who never voted in their lives..will vote for Imran Khan, Thumbs up for IK
the joing of former politicial persons is making troubles for Khan infuture election coz, young people just like Khan not the former political person, but their joining in PTI is will be harsh, khan should to ignore such kind of people and give chance to kew political person "unknown"
Karachi....Are you ready for tHE Tusnami of PTI on 25 December?
I say Hell Yeah!
Mr. Kasuri does not down The City School. The City School is owned by the sister of Mrs. Kasuri. The two sisters don't even sit in the same room. Please make the correction.
Well done PTI!
hey express tribune no news about people fleeing with chairs let him come to karachi i have already promised 5 chairs to my mom
PTI has been attracting a lot of 'young blood' into politics, such as qasuri, shah mehmood qureshi, azam swati, mian azhar etc etc ...... well done Im the Dim ..... your party truly represents the youth of Pakistan!!!!
All the politicians which had joined Musharaff party are now joining PTI.. I hope its not the agencies/establishment working agian behind the scene. But facts are hard to ignore though.. It will be appaling and sad for democracy if Imran Khan is letting establishment use him and PTI platform