SWABI: MPA Abdul Karim, who had won 2013 elections on Qaumi Watan Party ticket and also remained adviser to Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, is likely to join Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, sources told Dawn here on Monday.

Mr Karim stayed away from the QWP public meeting here on Sunday, which raised eyebrows among party workers that he was likely to quit the party.

Talking to Dawn, QWP leaders recalled that due to Mr Karim’s family sacrifices, party chief Aftab Ahmad Sherpao had always held him in high esteem.

However, the sources said a few days back he started visiting his supporters in his constituency to ensure that they remained with him if he contested elections as an independent candidate.

When contacted, Mr Karim said he was consulting his supporters and majority of them had assured him that they would stand by him if he joined any other party.

To a question, he said he wanted to contest elections as an independent candidate.

However, when asked about joining PTI, he replied: “That is one of the options for him.”

It is learnt that after delimitation of constituencies, he was perturbed because two populated union councils, Jalbai and Jalsai, were excluded from his PK-45, Swabi-III, constituency. The union councils of Shahmansoor, Kunda, Zaida and Gar Munara have been included in his constituency.

Meanwhile, PTI leaders said Mr Karim knew that KP Assembly Speaker Asad Qaisar had influence in these UCs, so if he joined the PTI he could manage the PTI vote.

When contacted, Anwar Haqdad, PTI district president, said Mr Karim was expected to join PTI soon.

He said Mr Karim was expected to announce his joining PTI during the public meeting Imran Khan was to address in Swabi on May 3, but the meeting had been postponed.

Published in Dawn, May 1st, 2018