LAHORE - A new controversy has started after estranged PML-N leader Sardar Zulfikar Khan Khosa’s announcement to join the PTI. He says his son Dost Muhammad Khosa and the Khosa tribe have also joined the party of Imran Khan.

However, PTI’s senior leader Dr Shireen Mazari said in a statement that no individual could take a decision about his tribe’s entry into the PTI.

She has been quoted as saying that criminals have no room in the PTI.

“PTI leadership in Islamabad decides who will be welcomed into PTI and who will not. It is not up to new entrants to assume if they have been welcomed their whole family will also be assumed to have joined PTI. Murderers and rapist can never be members of PTI,” Ms Mazari tweeted yesterday. He statement directly mentioning Khosa family also been mentioned by different media websites and TVs. PML-N dissident Sardar Zulfikar joined PTI on Friday after a meeting with Imran Khan in Lahore. Reportedly, Dost Muhammad also attended the meeting.

However, he was not seemed in the post-meeting press conference of elder Khosa and Imran.

PTI leaders and workers on social media claimed Dost Muhammad being allegedly involved in Sapna Murder Case was not welcomed in the party and he will also not be allotted ticket of any national and provincial assembly constituency. Zulfikar could not be reached on phone to get version on the matter, but some local TV quoted him saying that his son and tribe was a part of PTI. He said Dost Khosa case was different from Farooq Bindyal who was convicted in film-star Shabnum rape case.

The seasoned politician from DG Khan the other day announced joining the PTI along with his grandson. Accompanied by senior party leaders, PTI Chairman Imran Khan went to Khosa’s DHA residence here to formally invite him to join the party. However, Khan refused to accept Zulfiqar Khosa’s son and former Punjab chief minister Sardar Dost Muhammad Khosa into the party fold due to latter’s alleged involvement in the murder case of actress Sapna.

Dost Khosa who was present in the meeting was not allowed to appear before the media along with his father.

Later talking to the media, Zulfiqar Khosa expressed his confidence in the leadership of Imran Khan, stating that his previous party, the Pakistan Muslim League, had now become N-League and he could not be part of it any more. “I had left the Sharifs when they were at the height of their glory and power - elder Sharif was elected as prime minister for the third time while his younger brother Shehbaz Sharif was elected Punjab chief minister for the third time,” he observed.

Earlier, six months back, PPP-P President Asif Ali Zardari also went to Khosa’s residence with a formal invitation to join the PPP-P.

Khosa had then stated before the media that he would not disappoint Zardari but he would make a final choice after consultation with his supporters.

Speaking on the occasion, Imran Khan welcomed Zulfiqar Khosa in the party, stating he was a seasoned politician and highly a respected parliamentarian.

Replying to question about party’s about turns on the nomination of caretaker Chief Ministers in Punjab and KP province, Khan said he had taken by some names when they became controversial on the social media.

 “The purpose behind the formation of caretaker governments is to hold free and fair elections; and if a name becomes contentious, it should be taken back setting aside one’s personal ego.”, he maintained, adding, that cricket umpires are also withdrawn if they become controversial.  He also said that his party wanted to bring honest persons to conduct the elections.

 “Since nobody in Pakistan trusts a sitting government to hold the elections, our party also supports conduct of elections by the neutral Umpires.” he stated, adding, that this happened only in Pakistan and not in the rest of the world.

 He said that Pakistan had not witnessed any fair election after the general elections held in 1970.  PTI chief said that his party wanted the elections to be held on time according to the schedule announced by the Election Commission. Nonetheless, he also said that his party wanted the FATA members to become part of the KP Assembly at the same time.

To a question about Farooq Bandial, a notorious character of actress Shabnam’s rape case, Khan said that it was  the power of social media which forced him to expel Bandial from the party.

 “In the present time, social media has become a great power”, he said. Khan, however, said that he was astonished to see that social media remained silent as long as Bandial remained part of the PML-N.

 To a question about Friday’s court decision ending life-time disqualification of former Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the PTI Chairman said that PTI had always accepted the court decisions.

 “We had also accepted the court decision delivered by the Bench headed by Justice Nasirul Mulk on the poll rigging”, he remarked, adding, that the PTI did not come on the roads at that time. Also, Ex-MPA from Kasur, Ghulam Sabir Ansari, ex-Zila Naib Nazim, Haji Maqsood Sabir Ansari, Ali Asghar Manda, ex-MPA from Sheikhupura and former Punjab Minister for Culture Dr Tanvirul Islam met Imran Khan in Lahore and announced to join the PTI. All these politicians belong to PML-N.