KARACHI: In a sign of things to come with general elections approaching, two MNAs of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) from Jhelum on Saturday joined the ruling PPP here at a time when a sitting PPP MNA from Sindh was expected to join the N-League on January 24.
Former MNA and Senator Raja Muhammad Afzal Khan along with his sons, Raja Muhammad Asad Khan, MNA, and Raja Muhammad Safdar Khan, MNA of the PML-N, called on President and PPP Co-Chairman Asif Ali Zardari and PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari here at the Bilawal House and announced their decision to join the PPP, according to Bilawal House Media Cell spokesperson, Jameel Soomro.
They announced their joining the PPP in a press conference at Bilawal House.
Flanked by MNA and the president’s sister Faryal Talpur, Federal Minister Syed Khursheed Shah and Haji Nawaz Khokhar, Raja Afzal Khan said he along with his two sons was joining the PPP. He said he did not want to talk about the perceived virtues and flaws of any political party at the moment.
Raja Afzal, who is from Jhelum, said that he was a born Muslim Leaguer and had been contesting elections since 1985 and had been elected on seven occasions, the last time being in 2002.
His sons Raja Safdar and Raja Asad contested on PML-N tickets from Jhelum on NA-62 and NA-63 and won both seats.
Raja Afzal said they had been associated with the PML but had decided to join the PPP.
Federal Minister Syed Khurshid Shah, in his brief media talk, said that four MPAs of the PML-N hailing from Jhelum were also ready and willing to join the PPP.
Faryal Talpur said that the PPP was the biggest party in the country and hoped that more political leaders would join it. Talpur said that this was a beginning. However, she vowed that the PPP would continue its reconciliation policy.
The PML-N legislators have joined the PPP at a time when the PPP’s MNA from Naushehro Feroz district Syed Zafar Ali Shah was expected to join the PML-N on
January 24. Mian Nawaz Sharif who addressed a party rally in Hala on Saturday was expected to address another rally in Naushero Feroz when the PPP’s sitting lawmaker is likely to join the PML-N.
