Veteran politician from southern Punjab Ghulam Mustafa Khar on Monday joined the bandwagon of Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), ending his decades long association with Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). After a meeting with PTI Chairman Imran Khan here at Bani Gala, Khar formally announced to join PTI. He expressed full confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan and said that he has a platform to voice his political views after a very long time.
"I agree to the PTI's manifesto and its leadership. Only a leader like Imran Khan can steer the country out of the prevailing crises," said Khar, adding, "I will stand side by side with Imran Khan, as he struggles for a new Pakistan." Imran Khan welcomed Khar to his party. He said that bringing the sense of deprivation of people of Southern Punjab to an end is the top most priority of PTI. He said, "The time has come and we all should be united for the sake of this country, as the corrupt leaders have brought the country on the brink of disaster.
Khar was appointed governor and martial law administrator of Punjab by the then President Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto following the collapse of Yahya Khan's military government. When the 1973 Constitution was adopted in August and Bhutto became Prime Minister of Pakistan, Khar was given the portfolio of chief minister of Punjab province. Thanks to complaints from within the PPP, Khar was replaced by the far more left-leaning and intellectual Hanif Ramay. Khar was briefly reappointed governor in March 1975 before being finally dismissed in July 1975.
Bhutto's suspicions over Khar's ambitions as well as the deep divisions within the PPP in the Punjab led to his refusal to allow Khar to run for Ramay's seat in Lahore. Khar's attempts to run for the seat as an independent ended in failure. Ironically by 1976 former rivals within the PPP, Khar and Ramay, were working together within the Pir Pagaro's Pakistan Muslim League (F).
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