Feeling ignored: PPP loses former stalwart to PTI

Development brings to an end nearly five-decade-long association of Mahesar family with PPP

HYDERABABD: Former Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) MNA from Dadu district, Dr Talat Iqbal Mahesar, has joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), along with his family and community.

The move comes as a blow to the party as well as its nominated candidate for NA-234 Imran Zafar Laghari, who is Dr Talat's brother-in-law.

Dr Talat announced that his family and supporters will vote for Liaquat Ali Jatoi and his brothers, who belong to PTI. The family wields political influence in Mehar and Khairpur Nathan Shah talukas' based NA-234 constituency.

The development brings to an end the nearly five-decade-long association of the Mahesar family with the PPP. "Our family is among the founding members of the PPP. We stood in good stead with Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto even during troublesome times and suffered at the hands of Ziaul Haq's regime," recalled Dr Talat while talking to the media.



He said his elder brother, Rafique Ahmed Mahesar, languished in jail while leading a movement in Dadu district for the restoration of democracy in the 1980s. He said the family remained loyal to the PPP during the era of General (retd) Pervez Musharraf.

Dr Talat deplored that the people who betrayed the PPP during repressive eras and joined other parties have now become blue-eyed boys of Asif Ali Zardari and Faryal Talpur. He complained that they are being ignored by the party's leadership since the 2013 general elections.

According to Dr Talat, Liaquat invited him to join the PTI, after which he consulted his family and supporters before making the decision.

He announced that his family and supporters will campaign for PTI's candidates, including Liaquat, Ahsaan Ali Jatoi and Sadaqat Ali Jatoi in NA-234, PS-83 and PS-84 constituencies respectively.



The PPP has given tickets to Imran Zafar Laghari, Abdul Aziz Junejo and Fayyaz Ali Butt respectively in these constituencies.