LAHORE - Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) central Working Council has decided in principle to appoint Sheikh Zahid Fayyaz as new party President in replacement of Dr Raheeq Abbasi, party sources told The Nation on Sunday.
PAT President Dr Raheeq Abbasi, who held the party’s Presidential chair for about six months, is proceeding for two years leave. The party sources said that Dr Abbasi have to leave for UK where he may be given some party responsibility. They said Khurram Nawaz Gandapur would continue as party’s General Secretary.
Dr Raheeq Abbasi was the Nazim-e-ala of Minhajul Quran International before taking over PAT Presidential office.
The PAT is nowadays busy in membership campaign and hoping to make 10 million new members.  The party got limelight on its Lahore public meeting on December 23 last year. It later led a long march to Islamabad on January 14 this year for changing of electoral system in the country.
The party had contested two elections since its inception—General Election 1990 and 2002. It could not grab any National Assembly or Provincial Assembly seat in 1990 election. Whereas, in 2002, party’s founding Chief Dr Tahirul Qadir became member of National Assembly. They party did not contest 2008 and 2013 general elections.