Ali Nawaz Awan, a well-known leader of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), announced on Sunday that he had left the PTI to join the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP), dealing a blow to the party.
He made the announcement during a meeting with President Abdul Aleem Khan and IPP Patron-in-Chief Jahangir Khan Tareen at the Lahore headquarters, where Awn Chaudhry and other party leaders were also present.
Top IPP officials praised Ali Nawaz’s decision and welcomed him to the party.
استحکام پاکستان پارٹی کو ایک اور بڑی کامیابی.
سابق وفاقی وزیر علی نواز اعوان کی پیٹرن انچیف استحکام پاکستان پارٹی جہانگیر خان ترین اور صدر عبدالعلیم خان سے ملاقات اور استحکام پاکستان پارٹی میں شمولیت.
اس موقع پر ایڈیشنل سیکرٹری جنرل عون چوہدری اور سینئر رہنما نعمان لنگڑیال بھی… pic.twitter.com/0VfQ4f16M4— Istehkam-E-Pakistan Party (@istehkamPK) November 19, 2023
Awan is not the first PTI member to join the newly formed political organisation. Most of the former members of the ruling party who joined the IPP did so when they broke with the PTI, particularly after the May 9 crisis.
After the event, a number of prominent PTI leaders joined the IPP and renounced their basic party memberships.