Veteran Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) politician Dr Babar Awan quit his party and joined Imran Khan's Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Awan said that he left the party after 21 years.

“It’s time that I join the real opposition party,” he said as he announced to resign from the Senate.

"Every Pakistani should play his/her role in politics," Awan added.

Awan invited PTI leaders including the party chairman Imran Khan to an Iftar dinner where he announced to join the party. He announced to resign from the Senate and said it was the vision of Imran Khan to bring change to the nation.

The PTI chairman has welcomed the leader into the party fold.

"Babar Awan has taken the best decision for the cause of Pakistan," Khan said. He added that Godfather has destroyed all state institutions to save his corruption.

Imran Khan said the youth is determined to bring change in the nation which is only possible when the institutions are strengthened. He said that rulers have been taking advantage of corrupt system. He alleged that ‘Godfather’ has ‘captured’ all the state institutions.

The party chief also termed the year 2017 as the ‘election year’ and he congratulated his party leaders in advance over their alleged win in Panama case. He went on to say that in case the Qatari letter is rejected, the entire case would end.

Khan said that his ex-wife Jemimah has provided all the banking transactions to prove him innocent in the top court and on the contrary, no evidence was presented by Sharif family.

He expressed that the government is trying to make JIT controversial and if Nawaz Sharif remained the premier, he would not let the institutions perform their duties.

Babar Awan was associated with the PPP for over two decades, but was not active in the party activities after reportedly developing differences with the party leadership. Gradually, Awan curtailed distances with PTI and got closer to Khan becoming his counsel in several cases.

Awan was elected as senator in 2012 on PPP’s ticket and his term will expire in 2018. He also served as law minister in the cabinet of Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gillani.

Awan was also present both during the attack on Benazir Bhutto in Karachi on October 9, 2007 and when she was assassinated in Rawalpindi on December 27.

Besides Babar Awan, Firdous Ashiq Awan, Noor Alam Khan and Nazar Gondal have also recently joined the PTI.