Power politics: Punjab ex-governor may join PML-N
LAHORE: Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N) is in talks with the former governor of Punjab Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood to join the N-League, and if he does so, PPP will lose its two National Assembly seats from Punjab, The Express Tribune has learnt.
PPP had bagged only two NA seats out of total 148 NA seats of Punjab with the blessing of Mehmood. PPP candidate Khawaja Ghulam Rasool Koreja was returned from NA 192 and Makhdom Syed Mustafa Mehmood, son of Ahmed Mehmood, won the NA 195 seat.
According to PML-N sources, Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif approached Mehmood a few days ago and discussed Mehmood’s political future. Sources said that Mehmood regretted his decision of joining PPP and blamed his cousin former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani for coaxing him to abandon PML-F and join the party.
They said Shahbaz and Mehmood were very old friends. They used to enjoy swimming at Mehmood’s home in Model Town. Mehmood had once helped Shahbaz Sharif in securing victory from Rahim Yar Khan in one of the general elections. Shahbaz in his previous term with the help of Mehmood had launched the idea of Bahawalpur province in order to counter PPP’s South Punjab slogans. But later Mehmood joined PPP and helped the party win two seats from RY Khan.
Mehmood, Sharif talks agenda
Talks between Mehmood and Shahbaz are in a decisive stage, sources said. Mehmood will ask his son and Koreja to resign from their seats and to get re-elected on PML-N ticket in the by-election. He would work with Shahbaz in Punjab while his son Mustafa Mehmood would work in the centre with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The issue right now is tickets, sources said. The N-League is willing to give ticket to Mehmood’s son, but he also wants ticket for Koreja instead of PML-N’s defeated candidate Makhdom Ahmed Anwar.
PML-N’s officials said that Nawaz would accept Mehmood’s condition in order to uproot PPP from Punjab.
They said PPP in the previous term had claimed that it was the party of federation and PML-N was limited to Punjab.
Zardari wants Mehmood to stay
According to PPP sources, President Asif Ali Zardari when heard Mehmood’s talks with Shahbaz, floated the news that he had accepted the resignation of Punjab governor in order to pressurise him. The president did not want Mehmood to join PML-N.
Though Mehmood had resigned as governor on May 12 the president had not accepted it, sources said.
Contrary to reports party sources claimed that actually President Zardari had signed the summary of resignation of Balochistan governor Zulfiqar Magsi only and Mehmood’s resignation is still in limbo.
They said that the president invited Mehmood through Mian Manzoor Wattoo on Sunday on lunch and tried to convince him to stay with PPP.
According to sources Mehmood told Zardari and Wattoo that he is a Muslim Leaguer by birth and does not have the PPP temperament.
On the other hand, PML-N has delayed appointment of the new governor in Punjab till the end of talks between Shahbaz and Mehmood.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 12th, 2013.
Power politics: Punjab ex-governor may join PML-N – The Express Tribune
