Farooq Bandial joins PTI, expelled from party

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) dissociated itself from the infamous Farooq Bandial, who committed robbery at the residence of the renowned yesteryears actress Shabnam, hours after he was welcomed in the party fold by Imran Khan.

After the news of Farooq Bandial joining the PTI came to surface, the social media was abuzz with criticism of the PTI leadership for accepting a rape convict. To silence the critics, initially the party formed a committee to probe the facts behind the allegations.

However, in a development late at night, Farooq Bandial was also expelled from the party and when contacted, the businessman from Khushab stated he had no idea what the PTI had decided for him but said he was greatly depressed over what had been attributed to him.

“It’s been 40 years now, when did I say that I am innocent? But at least facts should not be distorted,” said Farooq Bandial while talking to The News. “Never ever, I have been convicted of a heinous act like rape, I was convicted by a military court in the era of Gen Zia over the charges of dacoity at the residence of actress Shabnam and she was the first one to pardon me, one could confirm it from her”. Farooq Bandial belongs to the village Bandial, tehsil Quaid-e-Abad of district Khushab. He said later on my mercy petition, the then president also pardoned him and his conviction was over.

“I never justified the ‘act’ it happened when I was studying at the Government College in Lahore but in these 40 years, I did so many good things but only one incident has been attributed to him, and when I joined the PTI, the opponents, apprehending a confirmed defeat in the upcoming polls started a malicious campaign against him,” he added.

Bandial further said he had every right as a citizen of Pakistan to do politics and no one could stop him from contesting polls. He said he would continue to serve people and like any other person had the right to live as a respected citizen of the country.