Express Tribune

ISLAMABAD: 

Former CEO of Engro Corporation, Asad Umar announced joining Imran Khan’s Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) on Wednesday.

Umar, recently took early retirement at the age of 50 amid rumours of joining PTI, made the announcement at a press conference with party chief Imran Khan in Islamabad.

He was long rumoured to have harboured political aspirations. In recent months, the blogosphere had been increasingly vocal about Umar’s political leanings, which he had hinted at strongly by participating in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s “Professionals Forum”.

When Umar took over as President and CEO of the company in January 2004, Engro was largely just a fertiliser manufacturer with a small petrochemical subsidiary. Under his leadership, however, the company turned into a diversified industrial conglomerate, with interests ranging from fertilizers, foods, petrochemicals, chemical storage, energy and commodity trading.

Imran Khan on Siachen tragedy

Khan, during the press conference, said that Pakistan and India should both withdraw troops from Siachen and the move should not be “unilateral”.

According to the press release issued by the party, Khan said that Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) Chairman Nawaz Sharif has enough resources to visit Gayari, but “our hearts and prayers are with the soldiers and their families” who got buried under an avalanche earlier this month.

“The presence of soldiers in Siachen is not just wasting resources but is also having a negative impact on the environment,” he added.

Khan announced holding a rally in Quetta to “show solidarity with the people”.

“I will address without a bullet-proof dais. No political party leader in Pakistan can do this,” Khan said.

PTI vice-chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi, Jahangir Tareen, Ahsan Rasheed, Naeemul Haq, Fauzia Qasuri, Ahmad Jawwad, Zahid Kazmi were also present at the press conference. 

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