ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Tuesday got a big boost when a group of former legislators from South Punjab agreed to join PTI after several rounds of talks.

Talking to Geo News, PTI leader Jahangir Tareen said the merger of Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz (JPSM) in his party is a ray of hope for the people of South Punjab who have been neglected by the ruling parties.

A group of nine legislators, headed by Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiar, quit Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz last month saying the party did nothing for the people of their area and announced to launch movement for a separate province.

Since then, both PTI and PPP were in talks with the JPSM to get their support for the upcoming elections expected in July this year.

PML-N too, tried to keep other lawmakers from the region in the fold and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif held a special meeting with them assuring them of PML-N’s support for the development of South Punjab.

Sharing details of merger with Geo News, Tareen said after coming into power PTI will give priority to address the grievances of the masses.

Khusro Bakhtiar in a press conference on Saturday said that the people of southern Punjab recognise the faces who want to divide the voice for a new province and they would reject them.

“Whosoever supports our cause, we will support him or his party,” he said and added that they would welcome the politicians from any party joining the JPSM. “More politicians will join us. We welcome those parties that supported our cause,” he said with reference to the PTI, adding that they did not believe in any bias based on language and region.

Khusro was addressing a press conference during which he introduced the lawmakers who have so far joined the JPSM after leaving the PML-N. They are: Ghulam Murtaza Khar PP-253, Muhammad Zeeshan Gurmani PP-252 Mian Alamdar Abbas Qureshi PP-255 and Sardar Khan Muhammad Jatoi PP-259 [Muzaffargarh]; Muhammad Jamil Shah PP-218 and Karam Dad Wahla PP-219 [Khanewal]; Sardar Qaisar Abbas Magsi PP-264 [Layyah]; Sardar Muhammad Khan Leghari PP-243, Maqsood Ahmad Khan Leghari PP-202 and Sardar Fateh M Khan Buzdar PP-241 [Dera Ghazi Khan], Alam Gujjar and Mina Jaffar Leghari.