PPP leader Shaukat Basra joins PTI

ISLAMABAD: Former senior leader of Pakistan People’s Party Shaukat Basra on Thursday announced to join PTI during his meeting with Prime Minister Imran Khan here. Imran welcomed Basra in the party fold and appreciated his role in the national politics over the years.

He was hopeful that the former PPP leader would continue to give his political services from the PTI's platform. Basra had contested the July 25 general election as an independent candidate. Speaking on the occasion, Basra said that he didn't join the PTI for party ticket or any government's post, but because of the impressive vision of the Prime Minister and his party. He promised to play his role in promoting the PTI's vision. Basra, earlier, held a meeting with former secretary general of PTI Jahangir Tareen here. Basra, along with some others, was earlier removed from PPP’s senior party positions on the grounds of violating party discipline by contesting the last general election as independent candidates.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday during his first interaction with the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Senators after becoming the chief executive here called for focusing on closer liaison between the Senate of Pakistan, the government and the federating units. Prime Minister called on PTI Senators to keep the Senate abreast of all government measures and policies. He directed the legislators to play their active role in the Senate regarding the reforms, development projects and planning of the government in various sectors.

PTI Senator and Leader of the House Syed Shibli Faraz led the party’s delegation, which met the Prime Minister, a day ahead of 285th session, which commences at the Parliament House with a feeling by some Senators that the new session might face relatively better cooperation between the government and the joint opposition. One of the legislators, who attended the meeting, told The News that the basic issues discussed during the meeting, included the Senate role in the context of the federal government and the provinces.

“It is quite satisfying that now we have two Senators from the largest province, Punjab, as majority of our legislators were from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa,” he pointed out. Before the recent election for the two Senate seats from Punjab, that had fallen vacant following disqualification of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Senators Saadia Abbasi and Haroon Akhtar. PTI’s Seeme Ezdi and Walid Iqbal made their way to the Upper House of the Parliament.