Gulalai unveils name of her new political party

ISLAMABAD: Former Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf lawmaker Ayesha Gulalai has disclosed name of her new political party that she quietly formed this month. 

Gulalai has reportedly begun campaign to poach disgruntled women lawmakers and leaders of the party into her newly-formed faction.

Ayesha Gulalai has named her new party Tehreek-e-Insaf Gulalai. She disclosed this name during a meeting with Seema Anwar of PTI in Lahore and attempted to convince her to join her party.

Gulalai claimed that half the PTI would soon join her. She also opined that Jahangir Tareen may have been disqualified but Imran would not let him go anywhere and he would remain around him.

Meanwhile, Seema Anwar said in her statement that Gulalai approached her for a meeting. I had immediately informed the party leadership about Gulalai contact, she added. Anwar also reportedly declined, though politely, to join new political party of Gulalai.

Ayesha Gulalai shot to prominence after she addressed an explosive press conference accusing the PTI chief of misogyny and sending her inappropriate text messages. She also alleged that women were not respected in the PTI and she had quit over differences with the party leadership. All charges have been dismissed by the party.

“I received the first such SMS in October 2013 and discussed the issue with my father, who said that I should wait and watch and if such messages come again, we will see,” said Gulalai in an interview with a private television channel. She added that such messages kept coming but she decided to ignore such messages and focused on the relevant issues PTI was raising and her duties as an MNA.

Gulalai was sent a show cause notice after the press conference to explain her actions but she failed to respond. The party sent a final notice to Gulalai, a copy of which was also sent to the ECP and Speaker National Assembly. Later PTI chairman Imran Khan decided to expel Gulalai from the party over violation of discipline and leveling ’false allegations’.

The PTI chairman had also written to Speaker National Assembly and Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to disqualify Gulalai from her reserved seat in the National Assembly.