16 old, seven new faces from Lahore to take oath today
June 01, 2013
LAHORE: Sixteen former MPAs and six new figures elected from Lahore in the recent general elections will take oath in the first session of the Punjab Assembly. The PML-N, once again, seems to be a major share holder in the Punjab Assembly and, like in other districts of Punjab, it has maintained its winning streak from the provincial capital where, out of total 22 MPAs who will take oath today, 19 belong to Nawaz League and the rest to the PTI. The PPP has no representation from the city in the PA this time as none of its candidate could win the recent election. The Punjab chief minister designate Shahbaz Sharif at the moment seems to be the most experienced member of the Punjab Assembly from PML-N side who has returned to the PA for the fifth term. He got elected as an MPA for the first time in 1988. He won the 1990 election from two seats but vacated the PA seat and retained the NA-96 seat. In 1993 and 1997 elections, he retained the PA seats and won from Bhakker in 2008 by elections and became the CM for the second term. He will take oath as the CM for the third time in the first week of June. From Lahore, apart from Shahbaz Sharif, Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman, Rana Mashood and Rana Tajammul of PML-N and Mian Mehmood ul Rasheed of the PTI are the most experienced MPAs who have returned to PA for the third time. Mian Mehmood served two terms in 1988 and 1990 on IJI ticket as an MPA and returned to PA after a gap of 23 years. Now he has returned to the PA on a PTI ticket. Mian Mujtaba Shuja ur Rehman has also returned for the third term. He served as an MPA in 2002 and 2008 prior to this term. He also served as the education minister. Rana Tajammul of PML-N has also been elected for the third term as he remained MPA in 2002 to 2006. afterwards, he was elected in 2008. Rana Mashood also served as an MPA in 2002 and 2008 terms and has returned to the PA for the third term.Besides, the MPAs coming to the PA for the second consecutive term include: Mian Aslam Iqbal, Khawaja Imran Nazir, Chaudhry Shahbaz Ahmed, Mian Mohsin Latif, Mian Naseer, Yaseen Sohal, Zaeem Qadri, Ramzan Siddiq Bhatti, Malik Saif ul Malook Khokher, Bilal Yasin, Malik Ghulam Habib Awan. Bilal Yaseen also served as an MNA in 2008 but, prior to this, he served as an MPA in 2002 and has been elected once again in 2013. Malik Ghulam Habib Awan is one of the MPAs who got elected on PPP ticket in 2008 and this time he has returned to the PA as a PML-N member. The PA members from Lahore who have got elected for the first time are: Ghazali Salim Butt, Majid Zahoor, Chaudhry Akhter, Waheed Gull, Malik Waheed and Murad Ross. Murad Ross is one of three PTI MPAs and got elected fromPP-152 whereas the rest of the new comers belong to PML-N. Out of these newcomers, Ghazali Salim Butt has served as Naib Nazim and Nazim in 2001 and 2005 terms. He also holds a unique record of defeating two former MPAs, including a former provincial minister, once at Union Council level and the other in the recent polls. Mian Mehmood Ahmed was an MPA in 1985 returned to the PA in 1990 elections on IJI ticket. He also served as a minister in the cabinet of Ghulam Hyder Wyne. Chaudhry Akhter Rasool is also one of the most experienced politicians from Lahore.