LAHORE: The Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) has said it will be careful in inducting leaders who were leaving the Pakistan Tehreek i-Insaf (PTI) into its fold.

This was announced by PPP central Punjab general secretary Hasan Murtaza at a presser here on Saturday. He claimed that most ex-PTI members had already contacted PPP, and the party was planning on conducting proper scrutiny to be sure if the interests of the person align with PPP’s ideology .

He further said, “PPP is hopeful to see favorable results by grabbing most seats in Punjab in upcoming elections. It will also appear as a future ruling party.”

Condemning the May 9 events, he said his party always respected the institutions and would never stand with anyone who dares to disrespect the establishment, judiciary, and the organisations that build and run the state.

He expressed disappointment over the ‘exploitation of youth’ by political oponents for terrorism purposes and criticised Mr Khan for instigating violence in youth.

He said, “The events of May 9 were widely celebrated in India that proves Mr Khan has anti-national motives for which he has brutally exploited children, women, and young people of the state. Truth is, his wrong policies have sent Pakistan into isolation and destroyed relationships with neighboring countries.”

Aslam Gill, a PPP leader, while also criticising the PTI chairman said people left him because of his bogus policies. He called Mr Khan a hypocrite and mocked those PTI leaders who were shedding tears while leaving the party. He said, “Such leaders should not be compared with the PPP ones. Our members firmly stand with the policies we have made and we won’t accept anyone who has previously advocated attacking institutions of state.”

When Mr Murtaza was asked about the current state of affairs in the province of Sindh, he expressed satisfaction and assured the attendees that major steps were being taken for the prosperity of the province. He admitted that Sindh was undergoing a major water crisis but highlighted the progress in Thar that was previously in shambles.

Published in Dawn, May 28th, 2023