ISLAMABAD: The incarcerated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder, Imran Khan will decide about the return of former members to the party fold after getting released from prison, Geo News reported citing sources amid reports of desserters’ willingness to join again.
Until then, he has halted the return of those who parted ways with the former ruling party, sources added.
A host of PTI leaders had held back to back press conferences announcing dissociation with the PTI, after crackdown was launched on those involved in the violent incidents of May 9 triggered by Khan’s arrest in a corruption case.
However soon, ahead of the February 8 elections, reports had emerged that some deserters desired to rejoin the party’s ranks once more, but the PTI leadership categorically denied taking anyone back.
PTI leader Hammad Azhar on December 26, 2023, said that most of the former PTI leaders who were “forced” to hold press conferences to announce their breaking away from the party were willing to return.
“The majority of those who were forced to hold press conferences wish to return to the party. PTI founder Imran Khan will personally decide on the return of these individuals on a case-to-case basis,” Azhar had stated in a tweet.
Meanwhile, on order of the former prime minister, a seven-member committee has been formed that will decide fate of the PTI leaders’ return to the party-fold, the sources added.
The committee will be led by PTI Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and comprise Asad Qaiser, Hamid Khan, Shehryar Afridi, Barrister Gohar and Shibli Faraz, the sources said.
They said the body would send a list of final names to the PTI founder who would take decision about them.
Meanwhile, they said, Shandana Gulzar will report on the PTI women’s cases as well as the leaders’ reasons behind quitting the party.
