Reaping rewards: PM to make first official visit to Haripur on Dec 19
The premier is expected to announce a number of development projects, including a medical college, construction of the long due Khanpur Road, putting up a Sui gas plant and other uplift schemes.
The prime minister was invited to Haripur by the sitting MNA from NA-19, Sardar Mushtaq Khan.
Earlier, Khan had informally announced his plans to join the ruling Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). He reportedly held meetings with former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani, President Asif Ali Zardari and the president’s sister Farayal Talpur, assuring his support to the party. However, Khan has not yet filed a formal membership form to join PPP.
According to sources, as a reward, PPP’s leadership agreed to announce a development package worth billions of rupees for Khan’s constituency and declare him their candidate for the upcoming general elections.
Khan says he parted ways with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), when the party agreed to field Omar Ayub Khan, who served Shaukat Aziz’s cabinet as state minister for finance, as a joint candidate of PML-N and PML-Q (Likeminded) for the 2013 elections.
According to analysts, the prime minister’s visit to Haripur, together with a package of developmental schemes, is expected to augment PPP’s political threshold in the region.
The PPP’s provincial leadership, has time and again announced support for the cause of the Hazara province, albeit its failure in pushing the issue at the recently formed commission for new provinces.
Published in The Express Tribune, December 17th, 2012.
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