PPP politician Saleemur Rehman joins PTI. PHOTO: FILE
KHWAZAKHELA: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) lost another veteran politician on Sunday when Saleemur Rehman joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Rehman made the announcement at a press conference held at the Swat Press Club on Sunday.
He said his family was associated with the party for the past 44 years. During this period his father also laid the foundation of PPP’s Swat chapter and later worked to strengthen it.“But the current leadership ignored me in the distribution of tickets,” he said. Rehman has also served as the district president of the PPP in Swat.
According to sources in the PTI, the new member is being given a ticket for NA-30 by the PTI’s parliamentary board.
“He is very popular in Khwazakhela area and has a huge vote bank there. He can win a seat from the constituency, which may be fatal for the PPP in Swat,” said Amjad Khan, a political observer.
Rehman is the son of former district nazim and federal and provincial minister late Dr Mehboobur Rahman, who was a close ally of PPP founder Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto.
Almost all mainstream political parties have faced internal conflicts over the distribution of tickets in Swat.
At the end of last month, PTI chief Imran Khan held a rally in Swat as part of his election campaign. He said if their party comes into power it will ensure peace in Swat and Wazirstan according to the wishes of its residents. “The justice system before 1974 will be restored in Swat. Village-level justice system will be introduced,” he said, while addressing a large gathering at Grassy Ground in Mingora.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 15th, 2013.
COMMENTS (13)
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PTI is also destined for crushing defeat but Imran Khan will never accept it on lame excuses .
Good for PTI.
It makes no difference. PPP and PTI are two faces of a same coin. Both are allied to defeat PML(N).
@Mohammed Nadeem: There is hardly any KPK constituency left where PTI will not win. I say PTI will grab atleast 29 out of 35 seats in KPK. Just wait and watch.
Which 6 seats are you leaving for the opponents? TTP is already making sure no opposing candidate is left in the race against PTI & PML-N.
Although I am not a PTI supporter, yet I justify IK decision of declining Musharraf,s offer for a lead role while the latter was in power. IK did not want to give his neck in the firm grip of Establishment, on whose shoulders a number of politicians rose to fame and power.
Well said KH. Saleem ur Rehman has a very clean background and is a popular figure in NA-30. There is hardly any KPK constituency left where PTI will not win. I say PTI will grab atleast 29 out of 35 seats in KPK. Just wait and watch.
29 out of 35 PTI candidates for National Assembly are NEW in KPK.
If the elected Swat PTI chapter want him, then PTI should award him a ticket. All the BEST PTI
Welcome to the hope of change..many thanks Regards, Ordinary Pakistani
He can join but he won't get the ticket .
He can join but I am sure he won't get the ticket. Cos
So when some one joins PTI from anothe party it means jumping for ticket, and when some one leaves PTI to PML N then its because they dont agree with the idealogy.
If PTI has to come into power through traditional tactics then IK made a blunder by declining the offer made by then dictator Musharraf for a lead role when dictator was in power. A change will never come through traditional politics and tactics. Change is a Mindset which is not yet dominant inside PTI. Change has to come through firm beliefs and ideology, and it is fortunate that PTI has left behind its own ideology on which it was formed.