Political Figures Join Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) in Southern Punjab

According to The News, a significant number of political figures, including former members of the National Assembly and provincial assembly from Southern Punjab, have announced their decision to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). The announcement came after their meeting with PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari at Bilawal House. Prominent personalities such as former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, former Punjab governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood, former Senate chairman Nayyar Hussein Bokhari, and Hassan Murtaza were also present during the event.

The newly joined PPP members consist of individuals such as former MNA Qutub Farid Koreja, former MPAs Allah Wasaya Chunnu Leghari, Rasool Bakhsh Jatoi, Tehseen Nawaz Gardezi, Abbas Alamdar Qureshi, Pir Jaffer Muzamil, Abdul Ghafoor Arain, Amir Hyder Wattoo, Salman Ayub Mohal, Qasim Ali Shamsi, and Fariha Batool. Most of these politicians hail from Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur, Muzaffargarh, Rajanpur, Mianwali, Khanewal, and Okara.

PPP co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari warmly welcomed the new members into the party. Former prime minister Yusuf Raza Gillani, while speaking to the media, criticized the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Chairman Imran Khan for dissolving assemblies and expressed that the entire nation, including PTI members, were condemning the incidents that occurred on May 9. Gillani emphasized that the law would take its course and refrained from making predictions about who might be excluded in the future. He also stated that no party should maintain a militant wing and suggested that the party with the best performance would form the next government.

In response to these developments, Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah acknowledged that the PPP has the right to strengthen its presence in Punjab, just as the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has the right to do so in Sindh. Minister Sanaullah noted that it is not unusual for individuals to leave the PTI and join other parties, adding that the PML-N does not have the capacity to accommodate everyone.