PPP chairman urges political activists from all parties to cast their votes strategically, enabling his party to “astonish” everyone.
The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), founded by Imran Khan and currently facing various legal and political challenges, encountered another setback on Friday when one of its candidates withdrew in support of Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari.
PTI’s Senator and candidate from NA-194 (Larkana 1) constituency, Saifullah Abro, announced his decision to step back from the said constituency on social media after holding a meeting with the PPP chairman a day earlier.
This withdrawal of a significant political rival is expected to further fortify Bilawal’s standing in the constituency, which is widely regarded as a stronghold for the PPP, given the party chairman’s victory in the 2018 general elections.
In response to Abro’s withdrawal, PTI issued a show-cause notice to the senator, demanding a written reply within three days for violating the party’s policies and displaying “grave indiscipline.”
This development unfolds as political parties intensify their efforts to attract voters, independent candidates, and those from rival parties to enhance their electoral positioning in various constituencies.
Abro’s move, as a PTI senator, aligns with Bilawal’s call for PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) voters to support PPP, emphasizing that the upcoming general elections are a contest between the arrow and lion, the electoral symbols of PPP and PML-N, respectively. PTI candidates are participating in the polls independently after the party lost its “bat” symbol.
Expressing gratitude, the PPP leader posted on social media, “Grateful to PTI ticket holder NA194 Senator Abro for his support. PTI workers across the county are beginning to understand that the only way to stop PMLN is to vote for PPPs arrow on February 8.” He further appealed to political workers from all parties to vote strategically for a potential surprise on election day.
This marks the second instance this month where a PTI candidate withdrew in favor of a rival political party. Last week, the PTI candidate from Lahore’s NA-119, Mehr Muhammad Waseem, withdrew in support of PML-N Senior Vice-President Maryam Nawaz.
The PTI candidate met Maryam and announced his withdrawal in her favor, along with joining the PML-N along with his supporters. This move not only led to PTI leaders switching sides but also dealt a blow to the PPP as local officers, including the chairman, vice chairman, and zakat committee’s head, along with loyalists, joined the ranks of the PML-N.
Both the PPP and PML-N are actively competing for political dominance in Punjab, particularly in Lahore, which has emerged as a key battleground for the upcoming polls. Prominent figures contesting from Lahore include Istehkam Pakistan Party’s (IPP) Abdul Aleem Khan, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif, along with senior leaders such as Maryam Nawaz, Shehbaz Sharif, Hamza Shehbaz, Attah Ullah Tarrar, PTI’s Salman Akram Raja, Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) Liaqat Baloch, and others.
