LAHORE:
Two politicians in central Punjab decided to abandon the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) last week.
Both had joined the PTI only last year after leaving the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q).
Gujranwala PTI President Waleed Akram Bhinder and his father, Shahid Akram Bhinder, on Tuesday joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).
Earlier, the Kasur PTI president Sardar Muhammad Tufail, a former MNA, and some other potential candidates had rejoined the PML-Q on Sunday.
The elder Bhinder has been an MNA. His son, Waleed, had hosted Imran Khan whenever he visited the district.
Shahid Bhinder told The Express Tribune he had committed a blunder in joining the PTI. He said Imran Khan had no plan to bring the change he promises. He said he preaches against corruption on one hand and joins his hands with the corrupt on the other side. He said, “Imran Khan asked the party to welcome Sheikh Rasheed before joining Rasheed’s public gathering in Rawalpindi. When pressure mounted from within the party, he disowned Rasheed.”
He said he had been elected on a PML-N ticket before joining the PML-Q and was returning to the “parent party.” He said a PML-N candidate had won the NA-97 seat. He hoped he would again be the party’s candidate from the constituency in the next election.
A PML-N handout on Tuesday said the two Bhinders had met with Nawaz Sharif and expressed trust in his leadership.
A PML-Q handout on Sunday announced Sardar Muhammad Tufail from NA-138, Chaudhry Ilyas from PP-175 and Sardar Amjad Tufail from PP-176 in Kasur District would be their party’s candidates in the next elections.
Tufail had joined the PTI along with Rana Imtiaz and Rana Sarfaraz, in Kasur. They are considered rivals of the Punjab Assembly Speaker Rana Muhammad Iqbal Khan.
Shafqat Mehmood, the PTI central information secretary, said “it was a good sign. The turncoats have started leaving the party.” He said the opportunists leaving the party could not hurt it. “The PTI values its 10 million registered voters, not particular politicians,” he said.
Published in The Express Tribune, September 12th, 2012.
COMMENTS (55)
Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.
For more information, please see our Comments FAQ
Well, for PTI, most the people from the younger lot is also getting confused now,as their policies
are still not clear but still i hope this time it will get some seats and the important thing is that
PTI should clear its vision and policies ,and hope it will not commit any blunder.
I think its a good sign for PTI! This shows the fact that PTI will not be giving party tickets to just anyone who joins from another party. the reason such people are leaving is quite obvious; they fear that they will not be given a party ticket or some influential position in the party. It seems a negative news but in reality its the opposite, good sign for PTI & its supporters. Vote for Imran Khan & dump corrupt parties.
@omairsaeed:
Bro I would recommend your post 1,000 times if I could. Ameen.
Hasan
Terribly misleading headline by ET there. Appears to denote a prevailing trend instead of a one-off occurrence. At least TRY to mask your political inclinations in your reportage, eds. :P
@Hopeful: Absolutely befitting response that PTI has been accepting turncoats in hoards
People will leave or join but the CARAVAN will not stop until reach the destination.
PTI is a flop show and all those Pasha's turncoat children will be exposed well before the elections.... The party will be left only with life-time Chairman Imran Khan Niaz and life-time President Javed Hashmi.
Party elections was great decision. Its like taking out part of statusquo agents from inside before tackling the main one. These elections, removing discretionary funds of MNAs funds and reducing the ministries is doing the magic to expose these agents, who come for their personal gain. More opportunists will flee n join those who best suited for them.
taking drop out of tides of tsunami doesn't effect it!
@ali, people like you used to talk about before the Lahore mammoth gathering that Imran will draw maximum 10,000 people in his rally. But when the people of Lahore slapped on the face of opponents, they were astonished. Grow up man, stop copying the words of PML-N so-called leaders they utter on TV shows.
@Pakistani Pashtoon: For God Sake!! WAKE UP!! Open your Eyes!!
@Zia: Exactly!! they just thought its a new uprising party so we should just go with the flow!! That aint happening boys!! PTI Dont need Corrupt and opportunist politicians like u!! There will be more turncoats in the coming days!!
i'm sure this is all because they weren't being issued tickets from PTI for upcoming elections.
When IK decided to issue tickets on merit not on the basis of "who has been a good host" people like them decided to flee away. "He hoped he would again be the party’s candidate from the constituency in the next election.." SUMS IT UP FOR ME......
PTI wickets falling so quickly. It seems PTI ship is about to sink. I sincerely advise to PTI supporters come out of day dreaming. I guess PTI wouldn't be able to get even 20 seats in NA. All this is happening because of U turns, and immaturity of IK. First he disappointed youth by taking such corrupt politicians in his party and now such turncoats are leaving. IK is left with empty hands just making false allegations against PMLN.
These are the worst people in pak Politics who never would like to break the Status Co..Also as the Asad Umar stated on pti ecnomic policy there wd not be any funds in the hands of the MNAs but they wd only put their minds n Making policies the materialistic people are leaving the party yes this s the change yes change has come even if the PTi needs 1000 candidates but not beggings thz people to stay in the party but as ik said we just thnx those who came and leaving. our illiterate masses in villages rural areas dont know wat s happening......so pti should put thngs on pamplets and wrote in urdu and distribute their vision of change home2hom. street to street and village to village....the pti objective is not to be in power but to chnage the pak politics....only in lahore whch s my forefather city..belive me there are Qabza Groups and worst matters just under the nose of the Shahbaz Sharif the khadm i Alla of Qabza Groups....................................
The people like Usman Khan are again becoming fool by the PML-N. Please use your mind and vote for the right party i.e PTI. You have become fool for the last many years, now please learn from the past and don't be naive. Heavyweights leaving the PTI is a clear proof of Imran Khan's merit policy, it means he (Khan) is not making compromises and opportunists are leaving him. It is better, Party will emerge more cleaner and only the deserving people will get the tickets.
I do not care if PTI wins or loses in the election, atleast I will have a party to vote for.... Previously people did not have a choice, now they do. They cannot say that all of them are chor anymore. I am not impressed by PTI's political experience however I am sure Imran is not corrupt and thats good enough....
Thats hilarious :p on 25th december Imran khan was telling Mian Nawaz Sharif to start the match soon, otherwise Nawaz Sharif Won't even have 11 players i-e full team to Play the match. NOW? its actually the other way around! :p Arrogance destroys everyone Dear Imran Khan!
Excellent...I am so happy for this SELF-CLEANSING process for my party. IA the people who will remain they will be there becuase of PTI/IK's ideaology and not just for power grab.
my vote for PTI only
Excellent. Party elections is a tough decision and takes a heart which only Khan couldve shown. Tickets would be allotted on the recommendations of the elected bodies. Period.
All those who were criticising PTI for accepting turncoats in the party need to put this into perspective. The party line always was that anyone can join but tickets will not be promised to anyone and will be based on merit. The detractors kept scoffing at this saying ofcourse these guys are going to get the tickets. Now that these people are leaving for this very reason the detractors should atleast accept that they were wrong initially and if people are leaving because they are not getting tickets or positions then the party is on the right track. Also interestingly the junior Bhinder was made out to be a real bad guy by PML-N which you can check in various propaganda articles, but now they are willing to accept the same guy. Just tells you how desperate they have become or they never really had any principles at all.
This is great news! Imran Khan himself said to wait and see how many more people will leave. It doesn't mean PTI is losing ground, but is actually strengthening by retaining the stronger, more dedicated people in the party and losing those who actually do nothing. How can we forget the jalsa in Gujranwala where the sound system failed miserably and Imran Khan had to shout without a microphone to the crowds? When a simple jalsa couldnt be arranged, how do you expect them to win a seat? Its about time such people leave PTI.
Now those who joined the PTI for their personal intersets,would run like kites towards different directions.
PTI is the only hope for Pakistan. PMLN PPP PMLQ MQM ANP are all corrupt parties and we have seen them loot and plunder this country for the last 4 1/2 years. The people have woken up and will vote for change this time.
This makes PTI even more worthy of our support. It is evident now that PTI will not give tickets as done previously by ppp and pmln(by taking bribes and so called party funds). And supporting pti will never hurt pmln votes who themselves have strengthened ppp govt this entire time. Way to go ......Long live PTI.
Even if the PTI bags 15-20 seats they will have a voice in the future setup.
It is a good sign for PTI and Pakistan that these power hungry people are getting out from PTI. Most of the people joined PTI to get party positions and tickets to contest next election and now they are afraid the process of getting tickets. Before election PTI would be cleaned to some extent.
PTI all the way
It has been the part of plan to make the PTI ship over crowded then rip it apart. The remaining on aboard, the Captain and Javed Hashmi to sink with ship!!! RIP
Interesting. When he joined PTI, he was called all sorts of names by PML-N media reps including putting him responsible for arresting the judges during Nov 3 Musharraf emergency. Now they've accepted the same. :)
The reasons cited by Bhinder seem hogwash. The more probable reason is that he wasn't sure about getting any ticket from PTI since PTI Gujranwala workers did not want him and he would have got rejected at the intra party polls to be held shortly.
PTI is heading in the right direction: i.e. on way to becoming an institution where members voice is respected and considered more than "heavyweights".
No any place in PTI for opportunist...
Imran Khan youth is with you... No worry abt any body want to leave PTI only for the ticket conformation...
This is called change in politics... IK zindabad...
Now politics for principles... Not for power only..
Great day for PTI.. Black sheeps running back to their parent status quo. What a miracle intra-party elections is! Imran Khan, the leader we desperately needed!
PTI is a flop show
imran should know it is the ordinary people of this country,looking for leader,who can emancipate them from the clutches of this brutal system.He and pti workers should know every politician joining after 30th october is an opportunist,as they were lurking on the fenses of other parties too, and as soon as they get a better opportunity they will leave for greener pastures.please trust the people of pakistan,they deserve a better life. State is providing us nothing,no education,no health fcility,no security anything you name we have to buy it.state of pakistan is in need of major shake up.
Looks like that those who are not getting 'ticket' assurance from PTI are going back to parties which can assure them with the prize bond!
I firmly believe that opportunists would be the biggest hurdle in bringing the real change which PTI has been advocating for. Whenever an opportunist and turn coat leaves PTI, one hurdle is removed. At the same time, it puts more responsibility on the youth of this country to vote for new faces that PTI nominates in the election.
These people are not used of true intra party elections and when they realised that they can't do power politics in PTI, they left! There will be more to follow! PTI is setting a very good trend in Pakistan politics!
One thing is clear that IK and PTI not promising tickets to anyone and not geting blackmailed by these oppurtunists, That means PTI is on right track. Its good that these people leaving PTI , its a filtration process. PTI young voters were not happy with these oppurtunists anyway. Its funny when these people join PTI get the blame for taking them and when they leave still PTI get the blame. How come PMLN taking all PMLQ people ? When they join PTI they make noise that these are Musharaf people but when they leave PTI they take them in PMLN.If PTI had trusted in youth rather than on seasoned turncoats things would have been much better.
Sadly a party lost its chance to bring in change in the lives of common people but trusting on failed leaders and ignoring there real power..i.e. the youth of Pakistan.
Cry sour grapes all you want but PTI has lost one seat. Given IK is willing to induct the same old corrupt politicians into his party for the sake of the seats; I'd say turncoat or not, PTI will be mourning internally
PMLN was always a party for opportunists, NS being the biggest of them all, so naturally his party is the choice for any turncoat! I am sure some more would leave and all the rejected "maal" would end up in PMLN!!
Those realising that they wont get party tickets are leaving! We dont need them in PTI!!!
@ Usman: How exactly can you explain??? I challenge you to explain how pti will benefit ppp? Only PMLN has beneifitted ppp by playing noora opossition with them.
I don't understand how giving vote to PTI would help PPP, its absolutely non-sense saying this as 70% PTI voters have never voted including myself. Also, 45% fake votes have been eliminated, so it makes no sense that giving vote to PTI will benefit PPP. PTI has a strong 10 million members (largest members of any party in Pakistan)...
Pity For PTI.
Shafqat Mehmood, the biggest turncoat saying others as turncoats....big time joke...
Giving vote to PTI mean bringing Zardari for another 5 years....
Dont waste any single vote to PTI...
Excellent response by Shafqat Mehmood - value the workers, change the culture of parties.
the sharifs would accept even choudhries as they can't afford to loose, but it's writing on the wall,because if they loose, which they will, they will end up either in jail or jeddah and london..