New recruitment: Marvi Memon joins PML-N ranks

Former MNA sought to work for youth, women’s rights.


Abdul Manan March 04, 2012

LAHORE:


Former Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) MNA Marvi Memon is to join Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N faction today (Sunday) after an official announcement made by Sharif’s political secretary.


Later, she will be awarded a national assembly ticket on one of two vacant seats, sources said.

Sharif’s Political Secretary Dr Asif Kirmani said that the PML-N president and Memon will hold a press conference on Sunday in this regard.

“Marvi will be accommodated in the main section of the PML-N instead of one of the wings and she will be made an MNA on one of two party vacated seats in the NA,” said a source in the party.

The sources also clarified that before the 18th Amendment, the law stated that vacated seats for women can only be filled by existing/standing lists of the candidates in the office of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), which political parties had earlier deposited with them. However, after the Amendment, the party president of any political party has been empowered to include fresh names in the standing list for women’s seats.

A number of PML-N MNAs, including Ahsan Iqbal, Khawaja Saad Rafique and Anosha Rehman, convinced Memon to join the party, the sources said. They added that according to the party’s assessment, the media coverage given to Memon and her presence on social media networks had attracted the attention of youth, and the party had decided to utilise it.

The PML-N think-tank also considered the recruitment a sensible option due to fears over the deterioration of the party’s international and domestic image about women empowerment. Memon is considered to have some standing in the national and international community over women’s rights.

PML-N Deputy General Secretary Ahsan Iqbal said that it was premature to assign Memon a slot or to appoint her as an MNA; however, he added that Memon is a “born League worker”. He said that the party invited her to join the PML-N over her bold stances in the NA despite her association with the Musharraf government.

Asked about the future of utilising Memon’s popularity, particularly in Sindh, he said that it was premature to comment.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan had offered Memon party membership during a party rally earlier last year, which she had remained quiet about.  According to a PTI official, a rift between Marvi and the PTI erupted over the party slot of information secretary. She refused to join the party when her conditions were not obeyed.

Memon remained unavailable for comment.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 4th, 2012. 

COMMENTS (31)

kashif ali | 12 years ago | Reply

i am very happy to join pnl n...best of luck marvi memon,

Faisal | 12 years ago | Reply

What a great disappointment... She seemed so much more smarter than that...

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