ISLAMABAD: Former chief minister of Sindh Liaquat Ali Jatoi has decided to join the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), saying he considers Imran Khan as the last hope for the country and the “neglected people” of his province.

Mr Jatoi, an estranged leader of the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), disclosed his decision to join the PTI during a meeting with the party chairman Imran Khan at the latter’s Banigala residence here on Thursday. However, he said he would make a formal announcement about joining the PTI at a public meeting in his hometown Dadu on April 22, which would also be attended by Mr Khan.

Talking to Dawn after the meeting, Mr Jatoi said he had made the decision after getting “no response” from Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif over the last three years. He said Mr Sharif had made a “commitment” with him and the people of Sindh that he would take steps “to curb corruption” and improve the situation in the province, but he had failed to do so.

Mr Jatoi said the people of Sindh had got nothing but disappointment to see Mr Sharif joining hands with Pakistan Peoples Party chief Asif Zardari.

Formal announcement will be made at a public meeting in Dadu on 22nd

“Mr Sharif had come to my house and said he would... help us get rid of Mr Zardari,” he said, adding that there was anarchy in Sindh under the PPP government and people were expecting that the PML-N would take steps to heal their wounds, but that did not happen.

Mr Jatoi said he had told Imran Khan that people of Sindh were looking towa­rds him for change and considered him the only hope for them.

Meanwhile, according to a handout issued by the PTI media office, Mr Jatoi met Mr Khan at his residence and the two discussed the prevailing situation in Sindh with a particular reference to “ongoing corruption by the PPP” causing a sense of deprivation among people of the province.

When contacted, PTI MNA Dr Arif Alvi said the party would get a boost in the interior of Sindh with the joining of Mr Jatoi.

On the other hand, PML-N vice-president Senator Saleem Zia said every politician had the right to decide his future course.

The 69-year-old Jatoi had contested the 2013 elections from NA-233 (Dadu) on a PML-N ticket, but lost to Imran Zafar Laghari of the PPP with a huge margin of over 45,000 votes.

In Sept 2014, Mr Jatoi had announced revival of his own Awami Ittehad Party after getting what he called a cold response from the PML-N leadership.

Earlier, Mr Jatoi had joined the PML-Q, the party formed after the then army chief Gen Pervez Musharraf sent Mr Sharif to Saudi Arabia on exile, and later served as a federal minister during in the military-led civilian government from 2002 to 2007.

Son of veteran nationalist leader Abdul Hameed Jatoi, Liaquat Jatoi had also served as member of the Majlis-i-Shoora in the regime of former military dictator Gen Ziaul Haq.

Published in Dawn, April 7th, 2017