PMl-Q's former federal minister Raees Muneer to join PML-N

PML-N president Nawaz Sharif to address public gathering in Punjab on March 29.

LAHORE:

Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N)'s President Nawaz Sharif will visit Bhong Tehsil, Sadiqabad district in RY Khan on March 29 to deliver his address where renowned politician and former PML-Q's federal minister Raees Muneer will be joining his party.

Muneer lost his National Assembly seat in 2008 general election as a PML-Q contender to PML-N candidate MNA Sardar Muhammad Arshad Khan Leghari by a huge margin.

In the general elections of 2002, Muneer won this constituency on a PPP ticket but joined PPP patriotic group, then joined PML-Q and became the federal minister.

In the recent elections of NA 195 when PML-F's candidate Makhdoom Mustafa Mehmood won the seat, Muneer supported and campaigned for the Makhdooms of RY Khan.

According to a PTI official, Muneer has tried to join PTI but the party, keeping in view his track record of changing parties in a short span, refused to accept.

It is significant to mention that Muneer's father Raees Shabbir Ahmad who in 1988, was with Nawaz Sharif but in the same year became a part of the no confidence movement against Sharif.

According to PML-N's official handout, Sharif will address the public at 1.30 pm at Muneer's residence in Bhong and after that will visit the residence of sitting PML-N MNA from this constituency, Arshad Leghari in Sadiqabad where he too will address the workers.

It is pertinent to mention that Sharif hardly addresses two events in the same constituency but this time he he is going to do so as PTI has strengthened its grip in this district.

Makhdoom Jahangeer Tareen and other big names from this district have already joined PTI.

According to sources in PML-N, if Nawaz prefers to award NA 197 ticket to Muneer for upcoming general elections, then MNA Leghari will prefer to look at other options including PTI.

On March 24, in a meeting with elected members including Leghari at Raiwind, Nawaz Sharif had said that whenever he takes any future political decisions for this district, he will take them into confidence.

Muneer's induction into the party, however, is considered a solo flight decision which created restlessness among local party office bearers.

According to sources, Senator Sardar Zulfiqar Khan Khosa was working on convincing Sharif to accept Muneer. The sources added that Nawaz Sharif and the late Benazir Bhutto had made a promise in CoD to not induct or take back a member of the PPP Patriotic in either group.

One of PML-N senior members, however, said that it has not yet been decided who the party will issue the ticket to as one there is still one year to go for the upcoming general elections.

He said that the party may decide to make seat adjustments with Leghari on an MPA seat and Muneer on a NA one.