LAHORE: On Saturday, former federal minister and PTI leader Humayun Akhtar officially joined Jahangir Tareen’s Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), expressing his confidence in the IPP leadership’s ability to navigate the country through its current challenges. Following a meeting with Tareen and IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan in Lahore, Akhtar spoke to the media about his decision.
In response to inquiries, Tareen stated that engaging with other political parties, including the PML-N, was a common practice in the country’s political landscape. Dismissing reports of PTI’s political victimization, the IPP patron-in-chief asserted that all parties were given a fair opportunity to participate in the political arena.
Regarding PTI’s popularity, Tareen suggested a decline after the May 9 riots, citing surveys that indicated a decrease in the party’s support. Humayun Akhtar resigned from PTI on June 22 in protest against the May 9 incident.
He had a history of political involvement, serving as an MNA in 1990, 1993, 1997, and 2002, and holding the PTI ticket in 2018 after Imran Khan vacated the Lahore seat.
In a post on X, he said the May 9 incidents had hurt the entire nation as well as his family.
“Under these circumstances, it is hard for me to continue affiliation with the PTI; therefore, I announce to quit the party,” he added.
Ishaq Dar Issues Public Apology For Sharing Fake Election Schedule
Meanwhile, PML-N leader Ishaq Dar has issued an apology for disseminating a false election schedule, which he initially claimed was sent to him by a former party senator.
In an interview Dar admitted to the error, stating, “I came to know that I shared a fake election schedule after the news aired on the channel. I apologize for sharing a fake election schedule.”
During the interview, Dar avoided disclosing the identity of the individual who provided him with the fake schedule. Despite his confidence that the purported schedule came from the election overseer and was “genuine,” he acknowledged that he had “copied and pasted” it on Twitter.
It is noteworthy that the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) promptly dismissed the schedule shared by Dar, confirming it as fake and asserting that no such document had been issued by the electoral body.
Dar asserted that he had deleted the post after learning about its inauthenticity on television. He expressed regret over the prevalence of fake news in the country, emphasizing that misinformation was widespread.
