LAHORE, June 7, 2023: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) deserter Murad Raas on Wednesday joined Jahangir Tareen group.
Mr Raas called on Mr Tareen accompanied by Abdul Aleem Khan and Awn Chaudhry.
Earlier, three members of PTI’s “Hashim Dogar group”, including Raja Yawar Kamal, Mamoon Tarar, and Rai Aslam, joined Mr Tareen’s political camp.
It came as Mr Tareen had formed a three-member committee, including Awn Chaudhry, Sardar Tanvir Ilyas and Ishaq Khakwani, to rope in defectors as he is set to launch a new political party.
The committee decided to contact important figures from KP, including former party president Parvez Khattak and others. Former PTI senior vice president Fawad Chaudhry and Firdous Ashiq Awan had already held meetings with Mr Tareen.
Earlier, ex-PTI general secretary Asad Umar said he was not in contact with Mr Tareen but was in touch with Mr Chaudhry.
A group of former PTI leaders including Mr Chaudhry, earlier, paid PTI vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi a visit in Adiala Jail to discuss political situation and recent crisis in the PTI ranks. Mr Qureshi was released from jail a month after he had been detained under 3MPO.
On Saturday, former MPA Niaz Gishkori joined Mr Tareen’s faction. Mr Gishkori announced the decision after meeting Mr Tareen at his Lahore office.
Following the massive defections by the PTI leaders, Mr Tareen had arrived in Lahore on June 1 to cobble a new party, thus raising the political temperature in Punjab. After a series of crucial meetings with influential personalities in the federal capital, Islamabad, Mr Tareen made his way to Lahore by a special aircraft.