Former Punjab governor Sardar Latif Khosa, the disgruntled leader of the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), announced on Sunday that he has joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
Addressing a news conference in Lahore on Sunday afternoon, he explained his decision to join the party "on the wish" of incarcerated PTI founder Imran Khan.
He said, "I have decided this only in the interest of the country and democracy," adding that he has vowed to fight for the truth with all his might.
On September 22, the PPP removed a senior leader, Advocate Khosa, from the party for failing to respond to a show-cause notice issued against him for violating party rules.
According to a PPP spokesperson, Secretary General Nayyar Bokhari's membership in the Central Executive Committee (CEC) was also suspended. The membership of another party leader, Aitzaz Ahsan was also suspended.
On September 14, the PPP served a notice to Khosa for defending the leader of another political party, the PTI, without permission. He was asked to explain why should the party not take serious action against him.
"You, being a member of the Central Executive Committee of Pakistan [the Peoples Party], are defending, pleading, or representing the head of another political party without prior approval of leadership in corruption cases in which he has been convicted, and in a case against him under the Official Secret Act, while delivering a speech in the lawyers function, you criticized the state policy regarding cipher," the press release stated.
The notification further stated that during the event, the PPP leader questioned the state policy on the cipher issue and that Khosa's party membership would be canceled if no response was received within the specified time limit.
Khosa, who maintained that PPP was his party of choice and that no one could ever evict him, found his basic party membership subsequently suspended.