ISLAMABAD, Dec 19: Known for changing sides, a group of politicians mostly hailing from south Punjab and who have been returning to the assemblies for almost two decades on Monday joined Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI), improving the party's chances of at least getting representation in the legislatures in the next polls.

The 30-member group comprising dissidents from the 'Q', 'N' and 'F' factions of Pakistan Muslim League and led by MNA from Rahimyar Khan Jahangir Tareen announced their decision to join the party at a press conference at the National Press Club which was also attended by PTI chief Imran Khan.

And as if to dispel the impression that only the PML-Q dissidents were mostly joining the PTI, the cricketer-turned-politician claimed that a number of sitting lawmakers and leaders from the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and the PML-N, the country's two largest parties, were in contact with him and waiting for an appropriate time to jump out of their parties as they feared an action against them.

The new entrants to the PTI included MNA Awais Leghari and his brother Senator Jamal Leghari, the two sons of former president Farooq Leghari. They announced that they were considering resigning their seats in the National Assembly and the Senate apparently to avoid possible disqualification under the defection clause as given in the Constitution.

The group comprise PML-Q dissidents who parted ways with the Chaudhrys after their decision to join the PPP-led coalition in May.

Other prominent figures who have joined the PTI are former federal ministers Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sikandar Hayat Khan Bosan, Ishaq Khan Khakwani, Dr G.G. Jamal, Col (retd) Ghulam Sarwar Cheema, Syed Nusrat Ali Shah, former PML-N senator Saadia Abbasi and a former MNA from D.I. Khan Umar Farooq Khan Miankhel.

The PML-Q faced a double jeopardy as a number of its senior leaders, including central office-bearers, announced joining the Like-Minded group of the party headed by Senator Salim Saifullah Khan in Karachi.

Responding to various questions, Imran Khan claimed that the politicians joining him were clean people who had left their parties as these strengthened family cults.

On the occasion, Mr Khan admitted that most of the heavyweights who had recently joined his party belonged to the “political elite club”, but said they had decided to shun traditional politics and to join his mission of bringing about a change in the system. “Our politics is not politics of compromise as we are struggling to achieve a mission, mission of change, policy reforms and establishing rule of law through independent judicial system,” he added.

The PTI chief claimed that all of these people were joining his party without setting any preconditions. He reiterated the party's earlier announced policy that allotment of party tickets would be subject to strict screening by the party's parliamentary board.

Without naming PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, Mr Khan criticised his induction into politics, saying the 23-year-old man had no experience of politics as he had spent most of his time out of the country.

Responding to a query about a “silent ceasefire” against the Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), the PTI chief said in the present circumstances he was only targeting those in power and it did not mean that he had compromised on principles or he would ally with anyone with whom he had policy clash.

He made a startling disclosure that a recent survey had put the PTI and the MQM vote-bank in Karachi on equal level and said the tide would further be turned after December 25 rally at Mazar-i-Quaid.

Giving reasons for joining PTI, former minister in the military regime of Gen Pervez Musharraf, Jahangir Tareen said that actually he had been planning to launch a new party comprising clean politicians to strive for ameliorating the lot of the people. However, he said, when they saw similarity of views and strategy between his group and PTI, they decided to join it.

Former MNA Umar Farooq Khan Miankhel said he was joining the PTI on getting a commitment from Mr Khan that he would establish a classless education system in the country and uplift the working class to bring them at par with others and strengthen the middle class.

The event became somewhat distasteful when some supporters of former federal minister Ghulam Sarwar Khan started hooting a journalist for asking why the former minister had kept a precious watch that he had received as gift during an official foreign visit instead of depositing it in the government kitty. The former minister justified the act by saying that he had done it within the rules.

Others who announced joining the PTI are former MPAs Hasnain Haider Khan Bosan (Multan), Shaukat Hayat Khan Bosan (Multan), Muhammad Shafique Khan, Taimur Masood Akbar (Taxila), Javed Lund (D.G. Khan), Aleem Shah (D.G. Khan) and two retired bureaucrats and former federal secretaries Ahmad Waqar and Mirza Hamid Hasan.