Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf's (PTI) popularity graph witnessed many ups and downs since its mammoth rally in Lahore last year. Some prominent names, including its core idealistic youth workers, left the party reportedly upset by the policies of party chief Imran Khan.
A large number of political heavyweights thronged to PTI from all political parties after its Lahore rally. But the once growing popularity of the party began to diminish when the old guard showed resentment over the induction of electables into the party fold, dubbing them as turncoats.
Meanwhile, some ideological workers like Dr Shirin Mazari and many other prominent names called it day. However, Imran stuck to his guns, saying anybody who wants to quit the party may do so and people 'come and go'. However, the affiliations of some electables like Akram Bhinder and Khawaja Hoti with PTI proved short-lived and they left the party to catch another political train. The Kasur PTI president Sardar Muhammad Tufail, a former MNA, and a prominent name went back to PML-Q. The elder Bhinder was an MNA while his son, Waleed, had hosted Imran Khan whenever he visited the district.
Talking to Business Recorder Shahid Bhinder said that he had committed a blunder by joining the PTI. He said Imran Khan had no doable plan to bring the change he promised. He said he preaches against corruption on one hand and inducts corrupt people into the party on the other hand.
"Imran Khan asked the party to welcome Sheikh Rasheed before joining Rasheed's public gathering in Rawalpindi. When pressure mounted from within the party, he disowned Rasheed", he lamented. Bhinder said he had been elected on a PML-N ticket before joining the PML-Q and was returning to the parent party. He said a PML-N candidate had won the NA-97 seat. He hoped he would again be the party's candidate from the constituency in the next election.
Dr Shireen Mazari resigned from the basic membership of the party when she was served a notice by the party leadership after giving statements against PTI's policies. Mazari said that the party has been taken over by 'big money'. The membership drive was hijacked by 'big money', which has compromised the party elections. Mazari was also in-charge of Foreign Policy for the PTI.
Former law minister and senior jurist Syed Iftikhar Hussain Gilani and former lawmaker Iftikharuddin Khattak quit PTI to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), which warmly welcomed them. Both were central leaders of the PTI and Gilani was Senior Vice-President of the party. Gilani remained relatively inactive till he joined the PTI in December last year - but now he says he could not reconcile with Imran Khan's policies on various issues.
A senior PTI leader on condition of anonymity said that those who want to leave the party are free to go. "We've given message to everyone, whosoever wants to leave is free to do so, assurance of party ticket will be dependent on intra-party elections and formation of parliamentary board", he stated reiterating what Imran Khan is telling those annoyed at party leadership.
He said that some other heavy weights and former Q-Leaguers are also thinking of leaving. If this happens it will be a blessing in disguise for PTI. These so-called heavy weights have slowed down the mercurial rise and progress of PTI and their timely exit will not only restore our reputation and image it will also vindicate Chairman's stance that there will be no compromise on principles no matter how big a price the party will have to pay for it, he added.
Shafqat Mehmood, the PTI central information secretary, said, "it is a good sign as the turncoats have started leaving the party." He said the opportunists leaving the party could not hurt it. "The PTI values its 10 million registered voters, not particular politicians," he said.
Khan's popularity seems to be confined to the urban areas of the Punjab and parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Urban voters in Pakistan are historically less likely than their rural counterparts to cast votes, and unless Khan can drum up support in the Punjabi countryside - traditionally the stronghold of the PML-N - the PTI is likely to remain a peripheral party.
The PPP stalwarts believe that PML-N and PTI are two potential political parties which could split votes in the Punjab which would strengthen the PPP's overall position. In light of Pakistan's recent shift towards a culture of coalition politics, some analysts also float the possibility of a political divide along ideological lines, with centre-right parties such as the PTI, PML-N and various religious political parties closing ranks against the more liberal PPP, Karachi-based Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM), and Punjab-based Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid-e-Azam (PML-Q) faction.
The analysts also opined that recent rally of Dr Tahiurul Qadri of Mihajul Quran, will also change the political landscape of the country if he succeeds to reach Islamabad with his planned million march. There are possibilities, they added, the PTI may opt to go with Qadri, which will make the bumpy road further difficult for PPP and PML-N in Punjab.
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