LAHORE: Sardar Latif Khosa, a senior lawyer and erstwhile PPP stalwart, formally joined the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Sunday, asserting that Imran Khan could protect and take the country forward.

“Give people ownership over the affairs of the country, allow the PTI a level playing field, and hold free and fair elections,” demanded Mr Khosa at a presser at his residence.

With the PTI flag draped around his shoulders, Mr Khosa stressed the excesses being committed against the PTI and its founder-chairman must be stopped and hoped that the judiciary would dispense justice. “Don’t do to Imran Khan what was done to Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and Benazir Bhutto.”

“The world says that people hold press conferences to leave [the party], and you are holding a press conference to join it,” he quipped, referring to how several PTI leaders had left the party in the aftermath of the May 9 violence.

“I am doing this deliberately. If rendering services for your mother earth makes you a lunatic, then yes I am a lunatic,” he said. He further said that one should not be fearful to speak the truth, adding that life, death, honour, respect and sustenance were all in Allah’s hands.

Mr Khosa asserted that Chief Justice of Pakistan Qazi Faez Isa should have also appointed returning officers (ROs) and deputy returning officers (DROs) from the judiciary, as he asserted that the elections should be held on decided date of Feb 8.

Mr Khosa, who is representing Mr Khan in several cases, said the PTI would ensure through courts that there should not be any hurdle in holding political activities, as the election schedule had already been announced.

“The electables gathered under the banner of Istehkam-i-Pakistan [Par­ty] will face a humiliating defeat in the elections,” said Mr Khosa, asking them to go and meet the people and see their fate.

Condemning the arrest of PTI leader Sher Afzal Marwat from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa outside the Lahore High Court, Mr Khosa said it was a matter of shame how a guest from KP was arrested in Punjab.

Meanwhile, PTI Chairman Gohar Khan said he was “delighted” to welcome Mr Khosa to the party. He congratulated him on joining a political party that “despite setbacks and tough times, has remained true to its democratic values — values of liberty, equality, and justice for all”.

Published in Dawn, December 18th, 2023