15 PTI supportersjump ship, join PPP

In a significant political development on Monday, a 15-member delegation of the office-bearers and workers from the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in Rawalpindi announced their joining of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP).

The delegation, led by Sajid Qureshi, PTI Deputy Information Secretary for Rawalpindi City, called on Punjab Governor Sardar Saleem Haider. The governor formally welcomed the new members into the PPP fold.

The delegation comprised Hamid Abbasi, Babar Mahmood, Javed Iqbal, Dr Shakeel, Ali Raza, Amjad Javed, Jahangir Khan, Hamza Abbasi, Badar Satti, Raja Tanveer, Raja Khalid, Raja Hafeez, and Sardar Nadeem.

During the meeting, Governor Saleem Haider personally placed party flag-themed mufflers on them as a symbolic gesture. He stated that their inclusion would significantly strengthen the PPP's presence and influence in Rawalpindi.

Expressing his optimism, the governor asserted that the PPP's popularity was on the rise, attracting a large number of the people to its ranks. "The next prime minister will also be from the PPP, and Bilawal Bhutto will become the prime minister," he said.

"The [Pakistan] Peoples Party is the people's party and the biggest political force in the country," he remarked. He emphasised that the PPP had always represented the downtrodden and has a history of its leadership making sacrifices for the nation.

He urged the government to implement concrete measures to provide basic amenities to the public, with special focus on improving education and health facilities in the remote and underdeveloped areas of Punjab.

The meeting was also attended by prominent local PPP leaders, including City President Raja Kamran, Asad Pervez, and Irfan Haider, who were present to welcome the new entrants.