Another blow to the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) led by Imran Khan came on Friday when Saifullah Abro, the party’s candidate from NA-194 (Larkana 1), declared his intention to “withdraw” in favor of PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari ahead of the polls on February 8.
Abro announced the news on social media site X, stating that he had met with the PPP chairman on Thursday and had made the decision to leave the aforementioned constituency.
Given that Bilawal won the seat in the 2018 elections, it can be claimed that the constituency is a PPP stronghold, and Abro’s departure is likely to bolster Bilawal’s standing there even more.
In the meantime, the PTI has responded to Abro’s withdrawal by sending him a show-cause notice, requiring a written response from him in three days, for breaking party rules and exhibiting “grave indiscipline”.
This development coincides with increased efforts by political parties to court voters, independent candidates, and rival party candidates in an attempt to improve their status and electoral positioning across a range of constituencies.
Abro, a PTI senator, took this action in response to Bilawal’s calls for PTI and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supporters to support his party in the upcoming general elections.
are situated between the arrow and lion, which represent the PPP and PML-N, respectively, in the electoral symbols. PTI candidates are running independently in these elections following the party’s loss of its “bat” emblem.
“I appreciate Senator Abro, who has the NA194 PTI ticket, for his support. PPP stalwart remarked on social media, “PTI workers throughout the county are starting to realize that the only way to stop PMLN is to vote for PPPs arrow on February 8.”
