PESHAWAR: Pakistan Peoples Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari is likely to visit Chakdara, Lower Dir, and Upper Dir in the next few days to hold meetings with his party leaders in view of the next general elections.

On this occasion, Qaumi Watan Party MPA Bakht Baidar Khan and former MNA Haji Inayat Khan will join PPP. Some senior activists and elected representatives of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf are also expected to join PPP soon.

A reliable source in PPP told this correspondent that the people likely to join Pakistan Peoples Party also included some of the members of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly whose names were mentioned in the list of those accused of horse-trading in Senate election.

It was learnt that some of the MPAs belonging to Peshawar and Mardan had already held meetings with Mr Zardari and agreed to join his party soon, but their entry was delayed due to disclosure of the list by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chairman Imran Khan.

The name of Yaseen Khalil was also mentioned among these MPAs, but he categorically rejected the reports, saying that he had so far not decided to join any other party. “I am not involved in any type of corruption and Imran Khan has just read out a list given to him by someone else just before the press conference which was wrong,” he said.

Those likely to join PPP soon also include some MPAs accused by Imran of selling vote

Mr Khalil said that those blaming him should produce proof of his involvement in the horse-trading. “We are in contact with our legal counsels to move a court of law or settle our issues within the party. We have no issue with the chief minister, but he might have some old differences which led to all this,” he said.

He said that the rival political parties were contacting him to join them, but he had so far not made his mind. “If someone is forcing us to retaliate then we also have self-respect and have the right to defend ourselves legally,’ Mr Khalil said.

According to QWP provincial secretary information Tariq Khan, his party had reports about the decision taken by Bakht Baidar to join PPP, but the lawmaker’s brother Lutfur Rahman had said that Baidar would stay in QWP and would not change loyalty.

When contacted, MPA Bakht Baidar confirmed that he was going to join PPP during a visit of Asif Zardari to Dir very soon. Mr Zardari’s visit, he said, had so far not been finalised, but it might be planned soon.

“My family and voters have assured me full support and the reports that my brother has developed differences with me are baseless,” he claimed.

PPP provincial deputy information secretary Gohar Khan Inqilabi told Dawn that Mr Zardari was expected to visit Dir on April 19, but his trip was delayed due to inclement weather. He also confirmed that QWP MPA Bakht Baidar and Inayat Khan along with some other people would join PPP.

Asked about the PTI MPAs, he avoided disclosing names of those wishing to join PPP, saying that the lawmakers were busy to clear the allegations levelled against them by Imran Khan. He said that Yaseen Khalil and Qurban Ali Khan were part of PPP in the past and they had own vote bank, but rest of the MPAs who were facing the allegations had no political position in their areas. About possible joining by the female MPAs, Mr Inqilabi said that he was personally not in favour to bring women just for the reserved seats. “We already have many women who have the capacity to become lawmakers,” he said.

Meanwhile, a PPP statement said that former provincial assembly candidate Amir Khan of Mulazai joined PPP during a public meeting in Peshawar, which was addressed by Asma Alamgir.

Published in Dawn, April 22nd, 2018