ISLAMABAD    -    Pakistan People’s Party wants general elections on time as it smells a chance to make a comeback and attract Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf dis­sidents to improve representation in the National Assem­bly. The PPP and se­nior coalition partner, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), are likely to share the PTI dissidents once the elec­tions are announced.

If all goes “well,” the general elections could be announced around October. There is no doubt that more PTI leaders will quit the former ruling party and look for new tickets to re-enter the parliament.

Some will definitely join the Jehangir Tareen group which eventually could become a partner of the new gov­ernment- possibly led by the PPP or the PML-N. Reportedly, PPP Chairman Bila­wal Bhutto Zardari has told Prime Min­ister Shehbaz Sharif that the PPP will not oppose any move to ban the PTI for promoting extremism and violence. But the PPP is not one to seek such ban.

Two gunned down by rivals over land dispute

Earlier, the PPP leader had expressed his differences when some PML-N leaders proposed a ban on the PTI as a political party. “I had opposed the move to ban PTI in the federal cabinet but now we cannot do anything as they have crossed the red line. What can we do if a po­litical party wants to turn into a militant organization,” he said after meeting the PM.

Last day, the PPP opened its doors for the PTI leaders, who recently parted their ways fol­lowing the May 9 violence. 

PPP leader Saeed Ghani - Sindh Labour Minister -asserted that the politicians who quit the PTI should be “encouraged” and given a “positive response.”

The provincial minister main­tained that the PPP “is ready” to welcome the politicians who left the PTI, adding that not all members and voters of PTI were ‘anti-nationalist’. “The PPP was the best option for those who quit the anti-nationalist party,” Saeed Ghani added.

Arrangements at BISE marking centre lauded

Several PTI lawmakers and members have parted their ways with the party following the May 9 violence, wherein military installations including General Headquarters (GHQ) in Rawalpindi and Corps Com­mander House Lahore were at­tacked after the arrest of party chairman Imran Khan.

As more politicians jumped ship, Khan tweeted: “We had all heard about forced mar­riages in Pakistan but for PTI a new phenomenon has emerged, forced divorces.” The desertions compound Khan’s problems as the PTI chief battles more than 100 legal cases and is trying to avoid being rearrested. PPP will be dearly expecting the PTI dissidents to join the party to strengthen its position in the in­fluential Punjab province.