New alliances: Gardezi family joins PPP, Qasim moves to PML-Q

New alliances: Gardezi family joins PPP, Qasim moves to PML-Q By Our Correspondent Published: December 25, 2012 Wattoo says that Mehmood’s efforts in south Punjab and his own in central Punjab will produce a surprise result for the party in the elections. PHOTO: NNI LAHORE: The Gardezi family from Bahawalpur announced their decision to join Pakistan Peoples Party on Tuesday and vowed to give their opponents a run for their money in the upcoming elections. Former PML-N MPAs Syed Salman Gardezi and Syed Irfan Ahmed Gardezi joined the PPP. Sajid Hussain Bukhari, the former tehsil nazim of Bahawalpur, also left the PML-N to join the PPP on Tuesday. The three men held a press conference at the Governor’s House with PPP Central Punjab President Mian Manzor Ahmed Wattoo and other senior leaders of the party. Wattoo said the PPP welcomed the newly appointed Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood. He said Mehmood was a seasoned politician who would strengthen the party in south Punjab. Wattoo said the gates of the Governor’s House would be open to the PPP’s workers. He said the PPP would gradually show its cards as it got closer to the election.He said Mehmood’s efforts in south Punjab and his own in central Punjab will produce a surprise result for the party in the elections. Sources within the PML-N said the Gardezi family had joined the PPP because their rival, MNA Riaz Hussain Pirzada, had joined PML-N. According to a PML-Q press release, former PML-N ticket holder from PP-22 Chakwal Pir Nisar Qasim has joined PML-Q along with many of his supporters. Qasim expressed complete confidence in the leadership of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Chaudhry Parvez Elahi. Describing Elahi’s term as chief minister as a golden era for the Punjab, he said now the province had been rendered bankrupt by the PML-N, crime had increased, the Sharif brothers refused to listen to their own parliamentarians. He said most PML-N members of the assemblies were unhappy and many PML-N parliamentarians would quit the party once elections were announced. Elahi said with Qasim joining the PML-Q, the party would become even stronger in Chakwal. Published in The Express Tribune, December 26th, 2012. =========== Two PML-N MNAs among three Jehlum politicians jump over to PPP By Web Desk Published: January 20, 2013 Raja Afzal (C) announcing his decision to join PPP flanked by senior PPP leaders Feryal Talpur (L) and Khurshid Shah (R). PHOTO: MOHAMMAD NOMAN/EXPRESS KARACHI: The pulling and pushing between political parties for the best candidates continues with two Members of National Assembly of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) announcing on Saturday that they were joining the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Express News reported. Former MNA and Senator Raja Afzal along with his two sons MNAs Raja Asad and Raja Safdar announced their decision to join the PPP in a press conference at Bilawal House on Saturday evening after a meeting with PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari. Speaking on this occasion‚ PPP leader and women’s wing head Faryal Talpur said that the PPP was a large party and number of political leaders wanted to join it before the elections. Senior PPP leader and federal minister for religious affairs Khurshid Shah was also present for the announcement. =========== Punjab governor’s sons have joined PPP: Gilani By Web Desk Published: January 20, 2013 File photo of Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood. PHOTO: EXPRESS/ FILE RAHIM YAR KHAN: Three sons of Punjab Governor Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood have joined Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), announced former prime minister Yousaf Raza Gilani on Sunday, reported Express News. Addressing a rally in Rahim Yar Khan along with the Punjab governor, Gilani welcomed Murtaza Mehmood, Mustafa Mehmood and Ali Mehmood to the party. Murtaza is an MPA, while Mustafa is an MNA. Makhdoom Ahmed Mehmood earlier belonged to Pakistan Muslim League ­– Functional (PML-F) but had resigned from the party when President Asif Ali Zardari offered him the post of the governor. The governor, addressing the rally later, claimed that he did not need any protocol as he was the peoples’ governor. He said that the doors of the Governor House are always open for the people of Punjab. “I promise you that the current government will give power to you to help you get developed,” he told the people. ============= Bahawalpur province: ‘Makhdooms and Gilanis cannot decide our fate’ By Kashif Zafar Published: January 23, 2013 Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi said the BNAP had supported the PPP after late Benazir Bhutto promised to create a Bahawalpur province. PHOTO: AFP/FILE BAHAWALPUR: “We will not let any Gilani or Makhdoom determine the fate of Bahawalpur province,” Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, leader of the Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP), said on Tuesday. He was addressing a press conference at the house of party’s President Muhammad Farooq Azam Malik. Abbasi said the BNAP had supported the PPP after late Benazir Bhutto promised to create a Bahawalpur province. He said now that the PPP had almost completed its tenure, it was backing out from the commitment. He said he had declined an offer to be made governor and change his stance. The nawab said that Governor Makhdoom Ahmad Mehmood had made a two-and-a-half-month deal with the government and betrayed the people of Bahawalpur. “We will not let them add Multan and Dera Ghazi Khan to the Bahawalpur province.” The nawab said that the government could neither deceive the people of Bahawalpur nor force them to change their perspectives and compromise. He said the BNAP will participate in the upcoming general elections. He said the Sharif Brothers should live up to their commitment and play their role in the creation of the Bahawalpur province. He hoped that they would not betray the people as the PPP had. The nawab claimed that before Mehmood, the PPP had offered him the Punjab governorship. But, he said, he had refused to make any deal that would require him to compromise the rights of the people of Bahawalpur. He said his party’s demands were legitimate and that they would not stop until the Bahawalpur province was created. He said the party would also reject any changes made in the recommendations of the commission formed to creation new provinces. The nawab announced that he will stand for two National Assembly seats from Bahawalpur and one from Rahim Yar Khan. Former federal minister and BNAP President Muhammad Farooq Azam Malik said that the issue of creating the Bahawalpur province was completely different from the creation of other provinces. “There is no problem with our boundaries and resources. Mehmood’s father, Makhdoom Hassan Mahmood, had served as chief minister of Bahawalpur state before it was disbanded in 1956. Published in The Express Tribune, January 23rd, 2013. ====== Zulfiqar Khosa's son joins PPP By Web Desk Published: January 23, 2013 A file photo of Saifuddin Khosa. PHOTO: EXPRESS ISLAMABAD: Son of Pakistan Muslim League – Nawaz (PML-N) senior leader Sardar Zulfiqar Khosa joined Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) on Wednesday. Saifuddin Khosa made the announcement during a press conference in Islamabad with other PPP leaders. While speaking to media, Saifuddin said he was positive about serving the country well while being a part of the PPP. ========