Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan, addressing a press conference on Wednesday in Karachi, said that he is in touch with Aamir Liaquat Hussain and other "opinion makers".
"I am in touch with Aamir Liaquat and met some other opinion makers yesterday," Khan said when asked about the former prominent Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) member.
News of Hussain joining Imran Khan's party started making rounds after PTI leader Faisal Javed Khan took to Twitter on Tuesday evening, saying, "Dr. Aamir Liaquat to announce joining PTI at a press conference on October 25 in Karachi."
While usually active on Twitter, the controversial TV host and former MQM leader has remained silent on joining PTI.
While speaking to Dawn.com, PTI’s Imran Ismail acknowledged that Hussain has approached the party.
"He has a following, there is an advantage. He would be useful for any party and will be useful in the election," said Ismail when asked about whether PTI would consider including Hussain, who has been embroiled in a number of controversies since he emerged as a popular media personality, to its fold.
"If he joins [PTI], he needs to adhere to the party lines. If he does join — and I’m not confirming that he is — and if he crosses a line, we will tell him to hold his horses."
Hussain, in August, 2016, had parted ways with MQM, saying at the time that he would be leaving politics. Prior to his announcement, Hussain was taken into custody from his office on I.I. Chundrigar Road and later released by the Rangers after overnight detention.
He was also previously affiliated with the party, and had been expelled from MQM in 2008 for violating party policy.
Hussain has been working in the media industry for several years now. In 2001, he joined Geo TV where he hosted Aalim Online, a religious program that gained Hussain a large following.
Over the past few years, Hussain has hosted Ramazan transmissions on both Geo TV and Bol News.
Hussain also runs a current affairs program on Bol News called Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga and has worked with ARY Digital Network, as well.
Notice for hate speech
In January this year, the Pakistan Electronic Media Regulatory Authority (Pemra) had banned Hussain's programme "Aisay Nahi Chalay Ga" on Bol News after the host came under fire on social media for leveling allegations of blasphemy against 'disappeared' civil society activists and bloggers.
Lawyer Jibran Nasir had filed a complaint with Pemra, accusing Hussain of allegedly running a defamatory and life-threatening campaign against him.
Pemra at the time had said it had received hundreds of complaints with regard to Hussain's "hate speech", adding that it took the decision to ban him from hosting any programme or appearing on Bol News after it found that the host had violated several clauses of the Pemra Ordinance and Rules in his programme, which the authority had been monitoring for several weeks.
The Supreme Court later, however, had allowed Hussain to continue hosting the show on the condition that the content aired would be devoid of hate speech.
In 2016, Pemra had barred Hussain from hosting a Ramazan show "Inam Ghar" on Geo Entertainment for three days following his June 6 episode in which he had reenacted the suicide of a girl.
