DADU: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf leader Liaquat Ali Jatoi has said that he has evidence to substantiate his claim that the party has sold Senate ticket to Saifullah Abro for Rs350 million and he will soon submit it to court.

Jatoi, who is also a former Sindh chief minister, said at a press conference in Johi town on Wednesday that Abro had issued a statement on social media threatening to send him legal notice through his lawyer for damaging his honour. However, if he actually filed the suit he would himself appear in court with the evidence.

He said that he was not acting alone, he enjoyed unquestionable support of all senior leaders and active workers of the party in interior of Sindh and they would take a final decision about their future course of action after consultation among each other at a meeting at Betto Jatoi village in Mehar taluka on Feb 26. They would decide if they would remain in PTI or quit it, he said.

He said in answer to a question that he had remained chief minister of Sindh, federal minister for water and power, industries and production and provincial minister of various departments in Sindh, hence he had no desire left in him for running after a Senate ticket.

He had raised the issue on behalf of the party’s “loyal” leaders of interior Sindh who had been grossly ignored in decisions on party tickets for the upper house. They stood united to protect the party from parachuters and disloyal leaders and their arbitrary actions which were detrimental to the party interests, he said.

He said that he was the scion of an old political family. His grandfather, father and relatives had remained members of legislative assemblies in pre-partition era and he had learnt that politics’ prime objective should be selfless service to common man.

Jatoi was accompanied by Sardar Ashiq Ali Zounr, president of PTI Dadu district chapter, at the press conference.

Published in Dawn, February 25th, 2021