TAXILA: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) Rawalpindi division president Sardar Mumtaz Khan on Saturday formally joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

Mr Khan had challenged the political heavyweight and PML-N estranged leader Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan in the 2018 general elections and bagged over 22,000 votes in the National Assembly constituency of Taxila and Wah.

Addressing a public meeting at his residence in Wah Cantonment which was presided over by former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Mr Khan said he remained associated with the PML-N for over 30 years and had contested the general elections on the party ticket and challenged political heavyweights like Chaudhry Nisar and PTI leader Ghulam Sarwar Khan.

He said despite his long association and sacrifices for the PML-N, he had been kept on the sideline and fell victim to “internal party politics”.

Speaking on the occasion, Ghulam Sarwar Khan said with Sardar Mumtaz Khan joining the PTI, the party would get a new boost in the area as he had a vast vote bank in rural areas of Taxila and urban areas of Wah.

Sardar Mumtaz Khan had contested 2018 elections against Chaudhry Nisar

He said the popularity graph of the PTI was likely to increase further in the coming days as more political heavyweights were expected to join the party.

It may be mentioned here that differences between the groups of Sarwar Khan and Punjab sports minister Taimoor Masood from PP-20 were exposed in the cantonment board elections last year when their supporters attacked each other near Margalla Hills on Nov 9 this year.

Three persons were injured in the incident and the minister was nominated in the case.

The Sarwar Khan group, which holds key political positions in the area as well as the party, is looking for other suitable candidates for PP-20 in Wah Cantonment.

Moreover, three former councillors from Ahatta area also announced joining the PTI.

Mohammad Farooq, Shareef Awan and Mohammad Rafeeq made the announcement during a public gathering presided over by former MPA Shafeeq Khan, .

A former candidate for the Provincial Assembly from the area, Safeer Khan, had already joined the PTI.

Published in Dawn, january 1st, 2023