SWABI: Former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Usman Khan Tarakai and his cousin Biland Khan Tarakai, a former PTI Peshawar region vice-president, are likely to join Pakistan Peoples Party soon, it was learnt on Monday.

Family sources told Dawn that Mr Usman, who had bid adieu to PTI two days ago, and Mr Biland, who was earlier expelled from PTI, had been looking for joining a new political party after developing differences with their nephew and former provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai over the inauguration of a college building in Shewa area in October last year.

The sources said Mr Usman accompanied by Mr Biland had met former prime minister and PPP senior leader Yousaf Raza Gilani in Islamabad on May 18. Earlier, they said Mr Biland had also met former president Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad on April 11.

In the meetings with the PPP senior leadership, the two leaders from Swabi discussed rejoining their mother party, said the sources.

When contacted, Mr Biland told Dawn: “We may join the PPP soon.”

Javid Inqalabi, PPP divisional president, said Mr Biland and Mr Usman were likely to join the Peoples Party soon. He said PPP leadership was taking workers on board regarding the matter.

The sources said the Awami National Party had also contacted the two former PTI leaders to join the party, but to no avail. They said Mr Biland and Mr Usman were not interested in joining the ANP since the latter had already awarded tickets for two national and five provincial assembly constituencies in the district.

Meanwhile, it was learnt that some key PTI leaders have secured transit bail from Peshawar High Court.

ENROLMENT: A grouping of social activists has called for enrolling all the out-of-school children in schools in the Swabi district.

Members of People’s Action Group for Education made the call while speaking at a function held in Topi tehsil on Monday. They said the group had launched the enrolment campaign on April 7, in which they were meeting parents of the out-of-school children to pursue them to send them to school.

“We are distributing pamphlets among the people while going door-to-door throughout the district, urging people to play their role in enrolling children,” said Fazal-i-Maula, the group’s president.

Religious figures and teachers have also been taken on board, he said, adding a literate society ensured peace and economic prosperity of people.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2023