Former PTI SVP Najeeb Haroon joins MQM-P as elections draw near

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) former senior vice president (SVP) and ex-lawmaker, Najeeb Haroon, has joined the Muttahida Qaumi Movement-Pakistan (MQM-P) ahead of the February 8 general elections.

In another setback to the Imran Khan-led party, its former senior vice president and one of the founding members, announced joining the MQM-P ranks on Saturday.

The politico, who had parted ways with PTI in July 2023, held a meeting with MQM-P’s Covener Dr Khalid Maqbool, Deputy Conveners Dr Farooq Sattar, Mustafa Kamal and Rabita Committee members at the party’s central election office, Pakistan House, in Karachi's PECHS Block 6 area.

After announcing his association with the new political party, Haroon told reporters that he has a strong political background of 27 years and would continue to serve Pakistan.

He added that the May 9 riots – that erupted last year after PTI founder Imran Khan’s arrest, had seriously damaged Pakistan’s image globally.

Taking to X – formerly Twitter – Senator Faisal Sabzwari welcomed the senior politician and said: “Najeeb bhai, a self-made successful businessman, is considered an honest political worker, will be an asset for us.”

He added that Najeeb was also the elected chairman of the Pakistan Engineering Council (PEC).

The senior politician, who is also known as the highest taxpaying politician, had been elected as an MNA from NA-256 (Karachi Central-IV) and defeated MQM-P candidate Amir Waliuddin Chishti in the 2018 general elections.

He had tendered his resignation as an MNA after an alleged shortage of funds for development projects in his constituency in 2020.