KARACHI: Less than a week after emerging victorious in the election for a Sindh Assembly seat in Karachi, independent candidate Ejaz Swati, who was supported by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, said on Wednesday that he was joining the Pakistan Peoples Party.
Mr. Swati had won the PS-88 competition in the Malir district. In addition, he leads the PTI as district president.
The MPA-elect made a decision to join the PPP on behalf of his constituents after discussing the situation with his elders and the locals in a video message following his election victory.
PTI-backed independent candidate Ejaz Swati, winner of PS 88, has joined the Pakistan Peoples Party.#TOKAlert #EjazSwati #PTI #PPP pic.twitter.com/HwGARUq3Jc
— Times of Karachi (@TOKCityOfLights) February 14, 2024
He declared, “I have made the decision to join the PPP for the growth and prosperity of my constituency and its people.” “I have made my decision without any hesitation. I’m hoping the PPP and its leadership would keep their word and start projects and development plans in my region. I would never waver in my commitment to helping the citizens of my constituency.
However, PTI followers reacted angrily to his declaration, attacking him first on the internet and accusing him of betraying the party and being disloyal.
Then, a few hours after his declaration, a sizable crowd gathered in front of his home and organized a protest. They chanted anti-heavy phrases, demanding that the MPA-elect, whose was not at home, leave his house and “face the fury of the people.”
According to locals, the protest lasted for about thirty minutes. The demonstrators later left in a calm manner.
Several old tapes of Mr. Swati in which he swore loyalty to former prime minister Imran Khan were circulated by social media users.
After receiving a party ticket from PS-88, he declared in one of the videos he uploaded on his X account, “I am a loyal and true soldier of Imran Khan.” “As the PTI district president, I have consistently supported my chairman through good times and bad. If, after winning the elections, I ever lie or defraud my party or my chairman, I swear a curse on myself.
Khurrum Sher Zaman, the president of PTI-Karachi, expressed a sense of hopelessness in his conversation with Dawn, saying that he was “ready to sell his faith for vested interests.”
“If someone can sell their belief system, ideology, and dedication for personal gain, what would you do and the way would you stop them?” he inquired.
SOURCE: DAWN NEWS
