MUZAFFARGARH: Chairman of his own Pakistan Awami Raj Party, former MNA Jamshed Ahmad Dasti has decided to merge his party with the Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) and contest the next general election on its ticket.

Talking to Dawn, Dasti said that PTI Chairman Imran Khan was the only politician who was sincerely working for Pakistan and its people.

He said he would like to contest the next election from the PTI’s platform because all other parties were corrupt. He lauded Imran for fighting against Islamophobia in the West.

Dasti became National Assembly member in 2008 elections on the PPP ticket after assassination of party chairperson Benazir Bhutto.

As MNA, he became popular in the district when he launched two free buses in his constituency. However, in 2013 he left the PPP and contested election as an independent candidate and won it. He tried to join the PML-N, but the party leadership refused to accept him after which he announced to form his own Pakistan Awami Raj Party.

In 2018 elections, he was badly defeated by the PPP National Assembly candidate Mehr Irshad Ahmad Sial.

In 2014, during the PTI’s Dharna (sit-in) at Islamabad’s D Chowk, Dasti reached there and announced joining Imran Khan’s party. However, just after a week, he left the PTI and gave derogatory remarks against Imran Khan.

After loosing election 2018, he stopped the free bus service in his constituency.

Recently, on Imran Khan’s protest call, supporters of Dasti’s party blocked some roads in the district for traffic.

Published in Dawn, April 23rd, 2022