LAHORE: Former Punjab minister Zaeem Qadri’s rebellion against the PML-N leaders has drawn interesting reaction from the rival PTI as one group is ready to accept the estranged Leaguer in PTI fold, while the other opposed any such move.

As soon as Mr Qadri lambasted his party leadership including PML-N president Shahbaz Sharif and announced contesting from NA-133 constituency as an independent candidate, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf central Punjab president Abdul Aleem Khan came forward and hinted at welcoming the PML-N’s estranged leader in the party fold.

However, in no time, former Punjab president and PTI’s NA-133 candidate, Ejaz Chaudhry, expressed his disapproval of allowing Mr Qadri to be part of PTI. He said Mr Qadri should contest election as an independent candidate and expose the real face of the Sharif brothers. He also said that the PTI should also not allow former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar to be its part.

Stating that the PML-N was crumbling from inside, Mr Chaudhry predicted that more leaders like Nisar and Qadri would raise voice against the Sharif brothers and defect from the party. “The rebellious elements will expose the Sharif brothers and drown the ship of PML-N in the next general elections,” he said.

PTI central Punjab president Aleem Khan said Zaeem Qadri would serve as ‘the first drop of rain’ and more PML-N leaders would part ways with the party.

Mr Khan said the PML-N leadership was continuing with ‘give respect to vote mantra’ and added that the Sharif brothers should first give respect to their workers.

PAT: The Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) has urged disgruntled PML-N leader Zaeem Qadri to help expose the faces behind the Model Town tragedy that took place back in 2014.

PAT secretary-general Khurram Nawaz Gandapur said in a statement on Thursday that Mr Qadri highlighted the aspects of the Sharifs’ life that hurt him (Qadri).

He urged the N-Leaguer to instead expose Model Town case accused Shahbaz Sharif and his son Hamza Shahbaz as heirs of the tragedy victims want to hear the truth from Mr Qadri.

Published in Dawn, June 22nd, 2018