ISLAMABAD: There would be only five 'patriots' in the new National Assembly who have travelled a long distance from the PPP to PPPP to PPPPP to PML-Q and to nobodies.
The PPP forward bloc that helped Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to form the government in the centre in November 2002 and was entertained with lucrative ministries to its members, is left with only five old bedfellows, two of whom have already ebbed away.
The lonely five, out of over 20 Patriots elected this time include a member who has been elected on PML-N's ticket and another has won the National Assembly seat as an independent candidate.
The 2002 pals left in the present assembly include Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat, Raza Hayat Hiraj, Pir Aslam Bodla, Malik Amir Yar Waran and Faiz Tamman. Faisal Saleh Hayat managed to snatch victory from Begum Syeda Abida Hussain from NA-88 (Jhang). Raza Hayat Hiraj has been declared victorious from NA-156 (Khanewal) where he defeated Syed Fahkr Imam of PPP. Pir Aslam Bodla, the third patriot winning on PML-Q's ticket, belongs to NA-158 (Khanewal-III).
Faiz Tamman, who joined PPPP (Patriots) in 2002 to strengthen the Chaudhries of Gujrat, this time defeated his good old daysí friend, Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, from NA-61 (Chakwal) on the ticket of PML-N. And Malik Amir Yar Waran won as an independent candidate from NA-184, after rejecting the Kingís party's ticket.
The big guns of patriots that have been outgunned in the February 18 polls include former defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal from NA-144 (Okara), former federal minister for science and technology Chaudhry Nauraiz Shakoor from 160 (Sahiwal), former minister for culture, sports and tourism, Rais Munir Ahmed from NA-197 (Rahim Yar Khan) and former minister for parliamentary affairs Dr Sher Afgan Niazi from NA-72 (Mianwali). Dr Nisar Ahmad Jat lost from NA-81 (Faisalabad) on the ticket of PML-Q and Khalid Ahmad Khan Lund faced defeat from NA-200 (Ghotki).
The other patriots that either lost or did not contest the February 18 polls include Niaz Jhakkar, Maj (retd) Tanveer Syed, Chaudhry Imran Ullah and Azher Yousafzai. Malik Zaheer Abbas Khokhar and Asad Gillani were the two patriots who were denied the PML-Q's tickets for the 2008 polls.
