Veteran politicians are currently in the process of forming contacts with Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI),it has learnt on Wednesday.Sources well placed in different ruling political parties said that those politicians who had served their parties in the past but had become inactive in the current scenario due to their own reasons or differences with the leadership were now looking towards the PTI to make their comeback in mainstream politics due to PTI’s popularity among the youth.
PPP sources said that some seasoned politicians, who held considerable sway in their parties and amongst the people, but were annoyed by the leadership and party policies, had started developing contacts with PTI Chairman Imran Khan with a view to join him. They further said that some of them had already met with Imran Khan in person and that the former cricketer had told them to show their political strength before joining him.
The sources informed that former foreign minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi, a one-time loyal member of the PPP who recently developed differences with the party leadership, was also looking towards a new role in politics through the PTI since it needed some visionary politicians and popular candidates to win the next general elections.
Furthermore, sources also said that Shah Mehmood Qureshi, who has a good grip on the politics of southern Punjab areas such as Multan and Khanewal, had contacted Imran Khan on the eve of Eid and had discussed bilateral issues, including political scenario of the country, with him.
Sources also said that after getting in touch with Imran Khan, Shah Mehmood Qureshi later discussed the PTI’s political worth and future with some parliamentarians and politicians. This could be significant taking in account the recent announcement by a PTI spokesman on a TV channel that Shah Mehmood Qureshi was going to join the party soon.
A group of politicians, including some members of the National Assembly and senators of the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F) and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) were considering forming an independent group, which would ally itself with Imran Khan in the next elections.
Sources said that Jahangir Tareen, Owais Laghari, Jamal Laghari, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, Muhammad Tufail and others were included in the group and were reportedly developing links with the PTI and its leadership.
