SPPF's merger boosts PTI in south Punjab
Khan holds joint press conference with SPPF's members.
ISLAMABAD (Dunya News) – In a major boost to Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) election campaign, all members of Southern Punjab Province Front (SPPF) have decided to join ranks of Imran Khan.
Speaking here in Islamabad today, Khusro Bakhtiar stated that they had no other option apart from joining PTI.
“Ostensibly, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) do not seem serious in making new province out of southern area of Punjab”, claimed Bakhtiar.
Imran Khan—while taking a jibe at PML-N—taunted that those who had been in power for 20 years were talking about revolutions.
“If we gain power, southern area of Punjab will be made new province within 100 days”, vowed Khan.
“Only those nations progress where power is transferred to lower ranks. Sense of deprivation is soaring among masses of Southern Punjab”, stated Khan while adding, “A large chunk of uplift funds is being used around Raiwind”.
“The governance system in Federally Administrated Tribal Areas was obliterated during War on Terror”, stated Khan. Khan reiterated that if PTI gains power, jurisdiction will be awarded to representatives of LG government.
Later, an agreement was inked by between SPPF and PTI to constitute a committee which would immediately start working to craft a model for making southern part of Punjab a new province.
Responding to a question about upcoming polls, Khan told attendants that his party was completely ready for 2018 elections whereas he stressed on holding elections as per schedule.
What is SPPF
On April-10, a group of defectors—comprising eight lawmakers from both National Assembly and Punjab Assembly—parted ways with Nawaz Sharif-led PML-N while accusing party of deliberately ignoring masses of southern Punjab.
The disgruntled members announced that former interim prime minister Balakh Sher Mazari would lead the SPFF movement.
In the onset, the disgruntled members include Khusro Bakhtiar, Balakh Sher Mazari, Rana Qasim Noon, Tahir Iqbal, Tahir Bashir, Basit Bukhari, Saleemullah and Sardar Nasrullah Khan Dreshak while the numbers soared to 15 as movement garnered eyeballs.
