In what can be dubbed a major political achievement for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP) chief Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi is mulling merging his party with the PTI, aiming at clean sweeping the upcoming elections in Bahawalpur region, Pakistan Today has reliably learnt.
A senior BNAP leader said on condition of anonymity that a silent meeting was held between PTI Chairman Imran Khan and BNAP chief Nawab Abbassi on Monday during which it was decided that the BNAP would be merged with the PTI in order that candidates belonging to major political parties could be defeated during upcoming elections.
Sources said Abbasi and Khan were likely to make the announcement in this regard on Tuesday (today).
The BNAP leader said a committee had been formed under the command of BNAP’s senior party leaders for working out the modalities of the merger with PTI leadership.
“Nawab Abbasi found the PTI programme of change similar to that of the BNAP for the people living in Bahawalpur region, so he decided with the consent of the party leadership to merge his party with the PTI,” the sources said.
They were of the view that Abbasi was considered the kingmaker in the entire Bahawalpur division, as around 17 candidates supported by the Abbasis during the general elections of 2008 won seats for National and provincial assemblies, adding that Abbasi also was elected member national assembly (MNA) four times.
They said Abbasi was likely to be given an important assignment in Bahawalpur region by Khan. However, the sources claimed that BNAP chief had not set preconditions for joining the PTI and it was purely based on a principled stance of both political parties. Despite repeated attempts, Abbasi did not respond to confirm the information gathered by Pakistan Today.