Saifuddin Khosa quits PML-N, joins PPP
Saifuddin Khosa talks to Information Minister Qamar Zaman Kaira after announcing his decision to join Pakistan People’s Party on Wednesday. – Online
ISLAMABAD: In a significant political development, Saifuddin Khosa, a senior leader of the opposition Pakistan Muslim League-N, has joined the Pakistan People’s Party.
Mr Khosa made the announcement at a joint press conference with PPP leaders Faryal Talpur, Qamar Zaman Kaira, Jehangir Badr and Makhdoom Shahabuddin here on Wednesday.
“I joined the PPP only because it is sincere about Bahawalpur province whereas the PML-N is using delaying tactics,” Mr Khosa said.
He belongs to one of the influential political families in Punjab. His father Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa is an important leader of the PML-N and his younger brother Dost Mohammad Khosa has served as Punjab’s chief minister.
Political leaders changing party affiliation has been a common phenomenon before elections.
Relations between the Khosas and the Sharifs have been strained over the past two to three years. Last year, Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa had quit the N-League but he was persuaded by Nawaz Sharif to change his decision.
Dost Mohammad Khosa quit the party membership on August 3 last year and severely criticised Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif’s style of governance at a press conference.
Saifuddin Khosa said that five or six members of his family were in different assemblies and he would meet them and persuade them to join the PPP to safeguard the interests of the people of southern Punjab.
When asked about the Punjab government’s claim that it had spent billions of rupees for development in Bahawalpur in the recent past, he said only Rs3 billion was spent in two years under a special package. On the other hand, he said, Rs40 billion was being spent on a single development project in Lahore.
Faryal Talpur, sister of President Asif Ali Zardari, praised Mr Khosa’s decision and said it would strengthen the PPP in Punjab.
Five or six people from his family are in different assemblies. This is the ruling class of Pakistan where all they know is to empower their families and off springs so they continue to rule Pakistan. If they all continue to stay in the assemblies, I don’t see how Pakistan will change and become a better place to live for a common citizen or gain some respect as a country in the International Community.
Please vote some body other than these two big parties in the next elections to bring the long due change in Pakistan.
Is it just me or is the PML-N’s power eroding? It no longer seems to be the dominant force in Punjab (northern and southern) let alone the rest of the country. I hope Nawaz Sharif’s ambitions won’t be thwarted in this election, the man is getting old, as is his brother.