November 29, 2002	Friday	Ramazan 23, 1423

Please Visit our Sponsor (Ads open in separate window)

LAHORE, Nov 28: About half a dozen PPP legislators elected from Punjab met chairman of Pakistan People’s Party Parliamentarians (Patriot), Rao Sikandar Iqbal, on Thursday evening and joined the group.

Rao, who is also defence minister, told reporters at a news conference that the P-5 MPAs will vote for Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi as chief minister on Friday.

Makhdoom Ashaq, Walayat Husain Khagga, Rana Aftab, Sheikh Aziz, and Mohammad Shah are among those who met the minister.

Raes Munir, a member of the group, who has been accommodated in the cabinet, was also present. The PPP MNA, Niaz Ahmed Jhakkar (NA-182 Leiah), also joined the group after meeting the minister.

Jhakkar told reporters that he still regarded Ms Bhutto as his leader. He said he had joined the group unconditionally, but would not decline any cabinet post, if offered. Rao Sikandar said that many more members of the group would come forward on Friday at the time of the chief minister’s election.

He said about a dozen MNAs had so far left the PPP and joined the P-5 in such a short period.