A provincial lawmaker of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Faisal Farooq Cheema, announced on Monday to join the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The development followed Cheema’s meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan. Former secretary general Jahangir Tareen was also present in the meeting.
Cheema was elected to the Punjab Assembly from Sargodha in the 2013 general elections and hails from an influential political family of the area.
Earlier in the day, a private TV channel reported that PML-N MPA from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Arbab Waseem Hayat joined the PTI.
Hayat had won in the PK-8 by-election in Peshawar in 2016 from a PML-N ticket.
On Saturday, PML-N’s Nasir Moosazai and Bilal Virk had also joined the PTI. Virk was elected MNA on a PML-N ticket in the last elections from Sheikhupura, whereas Moosazai was a PML-N leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Nation stands with judiciary
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan Monday slammed Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif and other party leaders for attacking institutions and warned them that the entire nation stands with the judiciary.
“These people are after members of the Panama joint investigation team (JIT),” he said while addressing a party rally here. “Wajid Zia, the entire nation is with you,” he said, referring to the head of the now-defunt Panama JIT.
Slamming the ruling Sharif family over the firing incident which happened at the residence of a Supreme Court judge in Lahore on Sunday, Imran said, “These looters used to steal public money and are now attacking institutions too.”
Imran said he will hold a huge rally on April 29 in Lahore which will show Justice Ijazul Ahsan that the masses stand with the judiciary.
At a rally in Gujranwala on Friday, Imran had expressed similar support for the judiciary, saying the decisions of the Supreme Court were creating a new Pakistan.
Published in Daily Times, April 17th 2018.
