LAHORE, Aug 17: Saying goodbye to his 32-year affiliation with the PPP, a former minister and opposition leader in the Punjab Assembly Rana Ikram Rabbani joined the PML(QA) on Saturday.

He announced his decision at a well-attended news conference at the Muslim League House in the presence of Mian Azhar, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, Arshad Lodhi, Syed Sajjad Haider Kirmani, Rao Qaiser Ali Khan, Mian Meraj Din, Kamil Ali Agha, Mian Abdus Sattar, Begum Mehnaz Rafi and a number of other leaders.

Rana Shaukat Mahmood of Nankana Sahib, who had also been a minister and opposition leader in the provincial legislature before crossing over to the PML(QA), was also present on the occasion.

Mr Rabbani of Okara, who was a candidate for the office of the Punjab PPP president elections for which were held three weeks ago, told reporters that he had been uncomfortable with the PPP for quite some time. He said the provincial leadership of the party was unable to meet the challenges of the time and the proposals he had sent to the party chairperson to improve the situation had been ignored.

That was the reason that he decided to part ways with the PPP. Before quitting the party, he said, he had informed Ms Bhutto of his decision.

He denied that he had been offered any bait by the PML(QA) leadership.

Mian Azhar said the kind of culture which forced Mr Rabbani to change his political course was prevailing in almost all parties barring the PML(QA) where all decisions were being taken through consultations.

Difference of opinion and positive criticism, he said, were welcomed and everybody was free to express his opinion on all issues.

The PML(QA) chief said he was also trying to make the party a tolerant entity where political differences did not prevent the members from having social contacts with leaders and workers of the rival parties.

Punjab PML(QA) president Pervaiz Elahi said Mr Rabbani would help strengthen the party. He must have had cogent reasons to quit the party with which he had spent more than three decades.

Mr Elahi said the PPP leadership imposed its decisions on the party and there was no tradition of consultations there. Some of the steps taken by the PPP leadership also brought a bad name to the party, he added.

He said he would give the media more such surprises in the days to come.

PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto’s spokesman in Lahore Munawwar Anjum said Mr Rabbani left the party when he was not granted ticket against Rao Sikandar Iqbal in Okara.