PTI chief Imran Khan addresses supporters during a public meeting in Peshawar on November 25, 2011.—AFP Photo

SADIQABAD: The arrival of Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf Chief Imran Khan in Sadiqabad on Saturday night has created a stir in the local political arena.

Several despondent political figures of the past, who invariably never hesitated to shift loyalties and assumed the role of turncoats, swarmed the PTI chief. Imran Khan reached Sadiqabad after winning favours with several turncoats from Khanpur, Rahim Yar Khan and Chowk Swetra.

During his campaign, Mr Khan succeeded in winning support of Sheikh Fayyaz Khan, the defeated candidate of PPP from MNA seat in Khanpur, and his group.

Likewise, Muslim Leaguers of the past who had strayed from the fold of the PML-N and the PML-Q and who have now joined the PTI are Seth Muhammad Aslam, his son Seth Muhammad Anwar and his whole family from Rahim Yar Khan.

Zafar Iqbal Warraich, once reckoned as a staunch PPP loyalist, first switched over to the PML-Q and enjoyed the status of minister of state for interior affairs, has now joined the PTI. His son Hasnain Warraich, former naib nazim Manzoor Warraich and his group also joined hands with Imran Khan.

Sardar Rafique Haider Khan Leghari, the former provincial minister and district council chairman of RahimYar Khan, has also left the PML-N and joined the PTI. He was aloyalist of late Makhdoom Zada Syed Hasan Mehmood, but later parted ways to join the PPP. He was also elected as MPA in 1997 elections and was one of the two elected MPAs from Punjab on a PPP ticket.

During the Musharraf regime he was elected as district nazim. After getting the support of Sardar Rafique Haider Khan Leghari on Saturday night, Imran Khan reached Sadiqabad on Sunday where former union council nazims Sajjad Warraich and Asif Rashid of the PML-Q and former PML-N MPA Chaudhry Shaukat Daud also joined the PTI.

Observers are of the view that many political figures are time servers and some of them have been defeated several times in elections.

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