LAHORE, Nov 15: The Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf continues to shed its weight as another of its senior leader from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti on Thursday left the party to join the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

Along with his son and PML-N leaders from KPK, including former chief ministers Mehtab Abbasi and Sabir Shah, Ameer Muqam and Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Hoti called on Nawaz Sharif here and announced his decision.

They also discussed political situation in the country in general and KPK in particular.

A brief statement issued by the PTI here said Mr Hoti had already resigned from the party a couple of months ago and that there was no room in the party for “political passengers” like him.

PML-N secretary-general Iqbal Zafar Jhagra told Dawn that Mr Hoti would woo many more of his PTI colleagues to the N-league.

He said talks with more political figures in KPK were going on as potential people were likely to join from Dera Ismail Khan and other southern districts of the province shortly.

Responding to a query, he said most of the new entrants sought party tickets for the next elections. But only those were being promised tickets where the party lacked strong candidates. He said others were being told to join the party as they could be accommodated against other positions, he added.

He said differences between Muqam and Abbasi and Shah had been resolved as the former federal minister had been told that old workers could not be ignored to accommodate his supporters.

Earlier, former MNA from Kot Addu (Muzaffargarh) Mian Ghulam Abbas Qureshi, ex-senator Maj Amjad Abbas (retired) and Mian Arshad Abbas Qureshi called on Nawaz Sharif at Raiwind here and discussed political situation.

The PML-N said the party would contest elections with strong candidates having good repute.