Latif Khosa says joining PTI on 'Imran Khan's wish'

LAHORE: Sardar Latif Khosa has decided to part ways with the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) to join Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) "on the whish" of its founder Imran Khan. 

In a statement on Sunday, the veteran politician and lawyer said he took this decision only in the interest of democracy and Pakistan. He had resolved to raise his voice forcefully for the truth, he maintained.

Addressing a press conference in Lahore, Khosa hoped that the politics of hatred would end.

He said the country’s Constitution is a civil agreement that has the characteristics of all welfare states.

He said the state and the country suffered whenever the Constitution was deviated from.

“The motherland can become prosperous, if we follow the Constitution. The Constitution has a solution to everything if it is implemented in its true spirit,” he said.

He said the idea of Pakistan was given by a lawyer, Barrister Muhammad Iqbal, and it was completed by Quaid-e-Azam Muhammad Ali Jinnah.

The seasoned politician said the duty of the armed forces is not only to protect the borders but also to assist the state if required during an emergency such as floods or in providing security for holding elections.

“I have dedicated my services to PTI. I am free to join the party of my choosing,” Khosa said adding that he would not talk about what he lost or gained in the PPP.

Khosa also called for ending the “oppression” of the PTI founder, who has been incarcerated since August this year in several cases.

He said the country’s 250 million people are looking towards the judiciary to ensure a level playing field for all political parties in the run-up to general elections on February 8 next year.

The development comes at a time when PTI is facing an exodus with leaders including Pervez Khattak, Asad Umar, Shireen Mazar and several others, have already parted ways with the former prime minister following the May 9 incidents triggered by the arrest of Khan in corruption case.

Khosa, also a member of Imran Khan’s legal team, on December 4 said the PTI founder had invited him to join the PTI.

On September 22, PPP suspended its senior leader Khosa's party membership over his failure to reply to the show-cause notice issued against him for violating the party policy.

According to the party spokesperson, Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari had also suspended his membership in the Central Executive Committee (CEC).

On September 14, PPP had issued a notice to Khosa for defending the head of another political party — the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) — without approval, asking why action should not be taken against him.

"You being a member of Central Executive Committee of Pakistan [Peoples Party] are defending/ pleading/ representing a head of another political party without prior approval of leadership in corruption cases in which he has been convicted and in a case against him under official secret Act, while delivering a speech in lawyers function you criticised the state policy regarding cipher," the notice had said.

The notice also mentioned that the PPP leader criticised the state policy on the cipher issue during the event, adding that Khosa's party membership would be terminated in case of no reply within the said time.