ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Peoples Party suffered another blow in Punjab on Wednesday after former minister of state Sumsam Bokhari along with a group of senior party members from Okara shifted their allegiance to the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Sumsam Bokhari, along with other PPP leaders from Punjab, met Imran Khan at his Bani Gala residence in the federal capital. Senior PTI leaders Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Jehangir Tareen were also present in the meeting.

Talking to media personnel on Wednesday, Bokhari said the PPP had become the ruling PML-N’s "B-team" in Punjab as a result of its policy of reconciliation and its role of a friendly opposition. He went on to say that PML-N’s governance in Punjab was unacceptable.

Shah Mehmood Qureshi said PTI was gaining popularity each passing day, adding that all those who share the party's vision will be accommodated. "There will be no distinction between old and new members, all those on board the party's manifesto will be treated as equals," said the PTI leader.

Ashraf Sohna, the disgruntled former district president of the PPP who joined the PTI earlier this week, was also present alongside Qureshi and Bokhari. Talking to reporters, Sohna said the PPP was no longer a significant political force, adding that "no sensible person would want to indulge in politics from PPP's platform."

Sohna's resignation had sent the PPP into alarm mode, resulting in an emergency meeting of the party’s Okara district chapter presided over by Senior Vice President Rana Gul Nasir, which was attended by party office-bearers from all three tehsils of the district.

The party’s District General Secretary Farooq Ashraf Sangoka told the participants former district president Ashraf Sohna had been trying to join the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf for a few months and was disinterested in the party’s activities.

Also read: PPP Okara chapter briefed on Sohna’s move.

Sohna's departure had led to the PPP leadership approaching two other former federal ministers – one of them Sumsam Bokhari – following reports they too have plans to say goodbye to the party for different reasons.

PPP central Punjab president Manzoor Wattoo, on the direction of the party leadership, contacted on Tuesday former federal ministers Nazar Gondal and Sumsam Bokhari and discussed ‘rumours’ about their plans to quit the party and join the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

“Both Mr Gondal and Mr Bokhari dismissed such reports and reiterated their commitment to the party and its leadership,” Mr Wattoo had told Dawn.

Take a look: PPP gets ‘loyalty reassurance’ from two ex-ministers.

But on Wednesday Sumsam Bokhari submitted his resignation from the PPP to the party’s co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Amongst other PPP Okara leaders who joined PTI today are Arif Lashari, Shafiq Kamboh, Hafeez Nazeer, Shaikh Abdul Shukoor, Waseem Akhtar and Malik Asim Dogar.