MPs, Senators, MPAs have given their resignations to Imran Khan

Some MPs -- from the Upper as well the Lower House of the Parliamnet and several MPAs, have given their resignations to the PTI chief Imran Khan as an assurance that they will join him before the next general election, Khan’s close aides confided  on Tuesday. They told this correspondent that the mentioned parliamentarians belong to the three mainstream forces including PPP, PML-Q and PML-N. When asked about the reasons for not joining the PTI at this stage, they maintained that the stated MPs wanted continuity of development projects in their respective constituencies, while they have given their resignations to Imran as a token of assurance for their place in the PTI. Shah Mehmood Qureshi, vice chairman PTI when reached neither denying nor confirming the information said, “Many in the wings of mainstream parties, especially the PPP waiting for the right moment to join the PTI, while some of the MPs of PPP, PML-Q and PML-N have assured their entry before the next polls.” Meanwhile, another bunch of prominent political figures mainly comprising members of PML-Q and PPP, switching loyalties have joined the PTI on Tuesday. Several prominent political figures have announced joining the PTI, while the important political families, which joined Imran belong to ‘Awan and Joya clan’ of Khushab and Arifwala who possess considerable influence in their respective districts being the traditional political families.
Malik Naeem Awan, former federal minister along with his nephew, Malik Umer Aslam Awan and group including former chairman district council Khushab, Malik Ameer Mukhtar Awan (Sangha) have joined the PTI. Khan before leaving for Kasur in a brief visit to the residence of Malik Naeem Awan included him and his group in the party. Malik Naeem, despite his long illness enjoys considerable support in Khushab, as he secured his National Assembly several times and he was allied with the PML-N before his illness, however the nephew of Naeem, Malik Umer Aslam Awan secured the parliament seat once on the ticket of PML-N, while he lost the elections of 2002 and 2008 on PML-Q ticket and as an independent candidate to Sumaira Malik. However, according to the local leaders of Khushab, Malik Umer would be jumping to the election race once again with a new spirit from the platform of PTI. Moreover, Mian Azhar, expressing his first show of force in the party brought the influential Joyas of Arifwala into the party along with their group. Mian Amjad Joya, former district nazim Pakpattan and PML-Q leader along with former MPAs, Ashraf Joya, Rana Ghulam Qadir, while ex-PPP MPA, Chaudhary Shafiq Arian was also among Joya group.
Former parliamentarian of PPP from Sahiwal, Anwar-ul-Haq Ramay also joined the PTI at a joining ceremony at the residence of Mian Azhar, which was briefly attended by party chief and vice chairman, Imran Khan and Shah Mehmood Qureshi. On this occasion, the prominent figures who joined the PTI include, Syed Ameer Hamza Kirmani son of Sajjad Haider Kirmani, an influential of Okara, while Sardar Ghulam Abbas Lashari, a notable of Muzzafargarh also joined Imran.