The announcement was made by PML Chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain who was flanked by Sheikh Rashid Ahmad, who had formed his own faction of PML.
Almost all the PML leaders - Secretary General Mushahid Hussain Sayed, President of PML-Q Punjab Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi, District Nazim Raja Javaid Akhlas, Raja Nasir, Raja Basharat, Raja Hafeez, Mustafa Nawaz Khokar, along with 300 party stalwarts from Rawalpindi were also present on the occasion.
This goodwill gesture by PML leadership could pave the way for a merger of PML and PML-A as Sheikh Rashid is desperately making his efforts to clinch NA-55 again. He has been an undefeated candidate for almost two decades, however, he had lost this seat in the past elections when he was defeated by PML-N leader Javaid Hashmi by a considerable margin.
Shujaat, on the occasion, referred to his family's decades-old relationship with the Sheikh, saying that all his party workers and leaders would work diligently to get him win the upcoming by-polls.
Mushahid Hussain said his party was committed to get Rashid elected from NA-55, who he said neither would run away from polls nor succumb to the police pressure.
"The PML-N leadership is running away from polls as they are afraid to face the wrath of people. They are running from local body polls, bye-polls and the credit for bye-elections goes to Supreme Court of Pakistan. It is a welcome sign that even PPP are supporting our joint candidate - Sheikh Rashid," he added.
Pervaiz Elahi said all his party's Nazims, councillors and diehard workers would work days and nights for Sheikh's support who he said was contesting the polls for a "sacred cause" - defeating PML-N.
Sheikh Rashid expressed his gratitude to his former colleagues for their support, saying Shujaat and Pervaiz were dear to him like brothers.
Denouncing the use of police against his supporters and voters by PML-N Punjab government, Sheikh Rashid said it was an irony of the situation that PML-N leaders were going to PML leaders and are requesting for their votes.
"Though these so-called leaders (PML-N) were making statements that they would not accept PML leaders, however, they are begging votes from PML men. All political parties stand by me today and the people of NA-55 would vote for me on February 24," he added.
Rashid cautioned PML-N leadership against use of state machinery in the bye-polls, saying that he would request Armed Forces to conduct impartial, free and fair polls if the use of state machinery was not abandoned.
"I have met Maulana Fazal-ur-Rehman and would also meet Jamiat Ahle Hadith, Allama Sajid Naqvi and Allama Hamiz Moosavi to seek their blessings for me in the upcoming election," he added.INP
No comments:
Post a Comment