CHAKWAL: After facing embarrassment due to the hard-hitting speech of PTI Chairman Imran Khan against its leaders, the PPP has formally announced that it will part ways from PTI in the by-election for a provincial assembly seat for which both parties had joined hands against the ruling PML-N a couple of weeks ago.

“We have formally decided to withdraw our support from the PTI in the by-election for PP 23 seat,” Sardar Azhar Abbas, the district president of the PPP, told Dawn.

Addressing a public meeting near Talagang on April 2, Imran Khan lashed out at the PPP leaders, including Asif Ali Zardari, Sharjeel Memon, Dr Asim Hussain and Hamid Saeed Kazimi, accusing them of committing corruption worth billions of rupees.

Mr Khan forgot that PPP’s local leaders and workers were also present in that gathering. But when he was reminded during the speech that the PPP and PTI were allied in the by-election, Mr Khan clarified that he was against corrupt people irrespective of their political affiliations.

Decision taken after Imran Khan’s hard-hitting speech against PPP leadership in recent public meeting

Even after that justification, Mr Khan continued his tirade against the PPP leaders which left the local leaders and workers of the party shocked.

The local PPP leaders and workers left the meeting as Imran started his speech.

“Imran Khan’s speech was highly inappropriate. Dr Asim remained in jail for 19 months while Mr Kazimi also remained in jail. They faced the court trials and were freed by the courts.” Mr Abbas said being a national leader Mr Khan should respect court verdicts.

“It is very unfortunate that only a court’s decision which is against PPP is accepted by other political parties while any verdict in favour of the PPP is unbearable for others,” he lamented.

“Our four candidates filed nomination papers and the ticket was yet to be issued but we withdrew our candidates after making an alliance with the PTI.”

Mr Abbas added that it was PTI leaders who requested us for making an alliance for the by-election.

“Our party decided to make an alliance with the PTI just because we wanted to give a tough time to the ruling party by strengthening the opposition but unfortunately the alliance was shattered due to the highly inappropriate and irresponsible remarks by the PTI chief,” he said.

PTI’s district president Sardar Mansoor Hayat Tamman said being a national leader Imran Khan had spoken on national issues which should not be related to local politics as the dynamics of local politics were different from national politics.

“Imran Khan did not say any wrong word rather spoke against corruption which is one of the major problems of the country. Every citizen should stand against corrupt people,” he added.

“We would give a tough time to the ruling party as the PML-Q, Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan Awami Tehreek are also with us,” Mr Tamman said.

“Had the PPP remained with us, no doubt, we would have performed better,” he admitted.

Published in Dawn, April 9th, 2017