Politicians continue flocking to PTI

Imran Khan’s triumphing stride continues and this time he succeeded in denting the ruling Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in Lahore, as former PPP Lahore president Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar along with a large number of PPP members joined the Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI).
Prominent figures joining the PTI on Wednesday include former PPP senator Shafqat Mahmood and Awami National Party (ANP) leader Neelam Shah, among a dozen politicians from the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the PML-Quaid.
Imran Khan after arriving from London spent a busy day in collecting more and more members for his party. Khan refused to comment on the meeting between Shah Mahmood Qureshi and PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif, however confirmed that his party had already invited Qureshi into its fold. At the residence of Shafqat Mahmood, the PTI chief said the PPP and the PML-N were not political parties but dynasties of specific families, and that their members were like the servants of those families.
Imran said that after the month of Muharram, he would publicly announce the details of his properties and assets. He said the Punjab government was not permitting the PTI to hold a rally on November 26 at Shujaabad, where notables of Multan were expected to join the party. He warned the Punjab government to refrain from using such tactics to resist the PTI. He announced to hold a rally in Karachi on December 25.
Later at his residence in Zaman Park, Lahore, Khan said the nation in the coming days would hear “more good news” of politicians entering the PTI. While welcoming the fresh entrants, Khan announced that only those who had a strong belief and faith in the party’s manifesto would be allowed to stay in the PTI.
Responding to a query on including old political faces in his party, the PTI chief said the new members “were from Pakistan and not imported from abroad”. He added that a scrutiny committee of the party had been formed and a parliamentary board of the party would finalise the names of the candidates for the next election. He made it clear that the PTI would prefer new faces as candidates in the next election.
Among those joining the PTI on Wednesday, prominent figures include former PPP senator Shafqat Mahmood, former PPP-Lahore president Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar, PPP-Lahore Vice President Mian Aslam, Rahimyar Khan District Bar President Hassan Nawaz Niazi, Sheikh Anwar, Manzoor Warraich, former PML-N MPA Zia Ahmed Khan, former Sargodha tehsil nazim Asghar Larri, former Narowal nazim Javaid Kahlon, former Rawalpindi Nazim Raja Tariq Kiani, ANP-Punjab women wing president Neelam Shah and former MNA Riffat Kahlon.
Earlier talking to reporters at Lahore Airport after returning from London, Khan urged the formation of a judicial commission to probe the memo controversy. He held President Asif Ali Zardari responsible for the issue.
“The memogate scandal should be investigated at a higher level. If it is true then it is treason against the state. Resignation of Hussain Haqqani is a correct step. Zardari is the person who is really responsible for this issue,” Khan said. He said the formation of a commission by the government in this regard was purposeless.
“Nawaz Sharif and Asif Zardari are brothers and both are tax evaders,” he said, adding, “Their wealth is lying in offshore accounts.” Khan said the PML-N and the PPP had destroyed the country.
To a question about his meeting with the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) chief, he said, “I feel no need to hide anything. I had told one-and-a-half-year earlier that I held a meeting with ISI chief General Shujaa Pasha regarding the ongoing war against terrorism. Later, I neither met General Kiani nor General Pasha. Nawaz Sharif and other persons run after them to have a meeting.”
When asked about his meeting with US Ambassador Cameron Munter in the presence of the ISI chief, Khan said that he would sue the British newspaper in a UK court for publishing a fake report about the meeting.
He said Nawaz Sharif had increased the number of his factories from one to 27. “The Sharifs are a by-product of the establishment. They have been brought up in the nursery of establishment and are now living in their Raiwind palace,” he charged.
He said Nawaz had obtained Rs 3.5 million from the ISI, and a case in this regard was pending in the court. “The Supreme Court should hear this case so that people could know who received money and up to what extent. Nawaz Sharif should quit the politics now.”
Regarding his former wife’s visit to Pakistan, he said, “My wife came to Pakistan with her family and the PML-N unleashed a mudslinging campaign against her that she had come in connection with my public meetings. The PML-N also charged her with working for the Jewish lobby despite the fact that her family is Christian.”
To a question about the military operation in tribal areas, he said the military option was not a solution to terrorism, adding that the whole world had recognised dialogue as the only option to address the issue of terrorism.
“The US is fighting in Afghanistan for the last 10 years, but no solution has been evolved. Therefore, the Afghan issue could be resolved through talks,” he stressed.