Water and power minister’s brother defects to PML-N

Opposition throws open doors to political heavyweights.

LAHORE:

In light of information gauged from surveys, Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PML-N) has handed out invitations among several bankable candidates to join its Punjab chapter, according to an official handout.

Over the last month, the PML-N conducted three surveys across Punjab, with the intention to improve its overall performance through its current lawmakers, as well as develop an understanding of which candidates could be invited to join the party in future.

According to the handout, Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed, who is the brother of Water and Power Minister Chaudhry Ahmed Mukhtar and a former chairman of PIA, called on PML-N President Nawaz Sharif and Punjab CM Shahbaz Sharif to express confidence in their leadership and officially announced his joining of the PML-N.

Welcoming Ahmed Saeed into the PML-N fold, Nawaz said that his party was gaining popularity by the day, and the people of Pakistan would soon express their confidence in the leadership of the party in the forthcoming general elections.

According to PML-N sources, Ch Ahmad Saeed will contest the upcoming election from the constituency of NA 105 against PPP’s Ch Ahmad Mukhtiar.

According to PML-N’s research traditionally PML-Q’s Senator Ch Shujaat Hussain and Ahmad Mukhtar win this seat on rotation. However this time PML-N’s survey stated that there is a greater chance of Saeed winning in the upcoming election.

A few days back, former MNA Nawabzada Mazhar Ali Khan, former opposition leader in the district council Nawabzada Tahirul Mulk also joined the PML-N.

PML-Q’s MNA from Bahawalpur division Riaz Hussain had joined PML-N last week and according to PML-N’s official handout more sitting lawmakers of PPP and PML-Q are in line to join the party.

Published in The Express Tribune, September 25^th, 2012.