PTI MNA who defeated Bilawal in 2018 polls quitting politics

Shakoor Shad, the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf MNA who had defeated Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) supremo Bilawal Bhutto Zardari in the constituency of Lyari in the 2018 elections, announced on Thursday that he was quitting politics on health grounds.

However, party sources told The News that Shad had differences with PTI Karachi president Bilal Ghaffar over the appointment of leaders in Lyari Town. In a statement, Shad said that due to health issues, he could not continue his political activities. “I announce my withdrawal from political activities and politics. I will also not run in the upcoming elections,” he said in a statement.

However, a PTI leader said Ghaffar had on Wednesday appointed Yasir Baloch, a local leader, as PTI Lyari Town president, without consulting Shad. In the past three years, Shad had announced several times he would quit the party and boycott important assembly sessions, such as the budget session, but he had later withdrawn those his announcements.