LAHORE: Aminul Hasnat Shah, a well-known religious personality and a former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) minister, jumped ship and joined Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Saturday.
Pir Aminul Hasnat made the announcement at a press conference along with PTI Vice President Shah Mehmood Qureshi and other leaders of the party.
پیر محمد امین الحسنات کی تحریک انصاف میں شمولیت انتہائ اہم ہے-@SMQureshiPTI pic.twitter.com/27Y0GQ6rI6
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 21, 2023
Belong to Bhera in Sargodha district of Punjab, Pir Aminul Hasnat had served as the state minister for religious affairs during the PML-N’s previous government from 2013-2018, is expected to make the announcement at an event in his hometown of Bhera in the Sargodha district of Punjab.
Shah is the son of Muhammad Karam Shah al-Azhari, an Islamic scholar of Hanafi jurisprudence best known for authoring Tafsir Zia ul-Quran (The light of the Quran in the Exegesis of the Quran); and Zia un-Nabi, a detailed biography of Prophet Muhammad (PBUH). He was associated with the Barelvi movement and was the spiritual guide and Pir of the Chishtiyya Sufi order.
During the media talk, Qureshi said that with the entry of Hasnat, PTI will be stronger than before in Sargodha, adding that they “will work together with him for the betterment of Pakistan”.
PTI senior leader Asad Umar said a history-making movement is currently underway in the country.
پیر امین الحسنات کو پی ٹی آئی میں خوش آمدید کہتے ہیں،- @Asad_Umar pic.twitter.com/isNqVqyI2N
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 21, 2023
“We will work together for the betterment of the country. If there is a political leader in Pakistan at the moment, he is Imran Khan,” said Umar.
PTI leader Fawad Chaudhry said that PML-N “has ended in Sargodha with Hasanat joining PTI”.
آج دربار عالیہ بھیرہ شریف نے تحریک انصاف میں شمولیت اختیار کی ہے جس پر ہم پیر الحسنات شاہ صاحب اور انکی پوری فیملی کے شکر گزار ہیں۔@fawadchaudhry pic.twitter.com/3ejhuZQImu
— PTI (@PTIofficial) January 21, 2023
“Elections are the only solution to the situation in the country. Unless the political situation is fixed, the economy cannot be fixed,” added Fawad.
It is pertinent to note that Hasnat, who has now joined PTI, remained the former minister of state for religious affairs and leader of PML-N.
Hasnat, who was elected Member of National Assembly (MNA) from Constituency NA-64 Sargodha, also remained part of the cabinets of former Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Shahid Khaqan Abbasi.
A significant number of his followers have also joined the opposition party of former prime minister Imran Khan.
This move is a blow to the PML-N as general elections are scheduled to be held later this year, with the tenure of the National Assembly set to end in August.
Leaders of the PTI, including vice chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, secretary general Asad Umar and senior vice president Fawad Chaudhary, extended a warm welcome to Shah as he joined their party.
In a tweet, Chaudhry described Shah’s decision to join the PTI as “very important”, noting that he and his family have influence throughout Pakistan, including in the Sargodha and Rawalpindi divisions.
