Nawaz gains strength in the National Assembly and independent candidates join PML-N. PHOTO: AFP/ FILE
Independent candidates elected in the National Assembly and Punjab Assembly have joined Pakistan Muslim League - Nawaz (PML-N), raising the number of expected seats to 220 seats in the National Assembly and 300 in the Punjab assembly for the party, reported Express News on Wednesday.
Independent candidates are nearly all selecting PML-N as their choice of political affiliation, according to a source close to PML-N.
More independent candidates joined from Balochistan, Kohistan and Swabi as the party gains further strength in the assemblies.
PML-N currently holds 126 seats in the National Assembly.
Sharif held a party meeting at his Raiwind residence on May 13, where the party’s senior leaders Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan, Ahsan Iqbal and Rana Sanaullah, among others, were in attendance. The meeting came up with a sketch of what the future government will look like.
Nisar Ali Khan’s task was to contact independent candidates who won national assembly seats from across the country and determine their terms and conditions. Shahbaz Sharif was to assist him and deal with independent NA candidates who won from Punjab while Nisar was to contact independent candidates from Sindh, K-P and Balochistan.
The Nisar-led committee will also suggest names of the National Assembly speaker and deputy speaker, and also the chairpersons of various NA committees to the party leadership. Apart from this, the committee will communicate with the caretaker setup to decide which day the National Assembly session will be convened.
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COMMENTS (12)
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All independents proposing will recover the price for their support to PML (N) . They will like to to have ministerial seats or post in govt , enterprises as MD or similar plum post to milk the same. PML(N) will ignore their wrong doings to the possible extent. A strong opposition will be able to reduce/prevent/ expose the corrupt activities .
This is how things work. Everything is according to the plan, ye.
I personally think that Nawaz sharif is a best leader and capable to perform better, people who think negative they must visit Punjab specially they have to see motor way, roads and people satisfaction. now I hope that mian sb should perform in all over the Pakistan without any difference specially in Karachi, Sindh and balochistan. they must start motor way in Karachi on immediate basis. my best wishes are with them.
This flock of independent candidates definitely strengthens NS party but if NS government fails to deliver what they have promised then people know how to do accountability, ask PPP.
@Concerned: Did he not take the right actions that Karachi sorely needed? Even, now Karachi needs to be cleaned up. There are many place where moquitoes are breeding. And, development should take place along side with better availability of power and water.
PTI is creating mess in the country and not answering their failure in their multibillion rupee campaign; they have been humiliating people’s mandate; nawaz victory address was after 11 pm.
@Shah Nawaz: I do not think it is a matter of sour grapes from PTI supporters. You can see what was happening in the polling stations on TV. A victory based on alleged vote rigging is an illegitimate one. Just because that has been the norm in the past, does not make it NORMAL today. It was politics of patronage at its worst. If the tables had been reversed, I think Imran would have him self wanted a recount and investigation.
just one request from our new leader. Please dont ignore Khi like you have done in the past. We might have our differences amongst ourselves now but if you ignore us and no development takes place in Khi, we can still stand together against you like we have done in the past.
@Usman Lakhani: in informal words, he was sending DPOs and DCOs a clear message that if you want to get posting in your desired areas, just do his candidates a favor. We had a scene in NA108 where all polling staff were directed not to announce results unless DCO or DPO reaches there and do a "recounting" infront of them.
Is Nawaz Sharif this the same guy who declared himself the winner 30 minutes after polling finished? Times have changed sir!
220 Seats in Punjab Assembly, this is what we call a Tsunami or a clean sweeo but unfortunately for PTI supporters, its all gone in favor of Nawaz Sharif.
Ah...the return of the bad old days, the politics of patronage, utilisatiion of state machinery...alas, it could have been so different if free and fair elections were held on 11 May