ISLAMABAD, Dec 29: Two more People’s Party Parliamentarians MNAs from Punjab, Pir Aslam Bodla and Imranullah Khan joined the forward bloc (PPP-Patriots), bringing the number of the group to 17.

Speaking at a press conference at the residence of Defence Minister Rao Sikandar, they announced that they have joined the PPP-Patriots out of their free will and would serve their areas whom they were representing.

The group had started with 10 MNAs and now has risen to 17. Interior Minister Faisal Saleh Hayat claimed that many more were ready to join the ranks of PPP-Patriots but he was not opening the floodgates.

Pir Aslam Bodla, who has been elected MNA for the third time, said that he had joined the group due to his relations with Rao Sikandar, defence minister. He also announced that MPA from his area Pir Mushtaq Khaga, had also decided to join PPP-Patriots. However, he was not present in the press conference.

Chaudhry Imranullah, MNA from Mian Channun, said he was forced to join the Patriots, only because the PPP Parliamentarians group was totally directionless and nobody knew what was happening.

The young MNA who has been elected due to his elder’s disqualification on educational grounds, said the party leadership had made reasonable people like Amin Fahim as laughing stock. He said time would prove that “we the Patriots are the real PPP.”

Malik Faiz Hayat Tamman, another PPP MNA was also present on the occasion. He had announced to join Patriots on Saturday. Malik Faiz Hayat Tamman was the only independent MNA who had joined the PPP after returning to the national assembly.

After securing the highest number of votes in the country in the recent elections, Malik Faiz had, on the directions of his paternal uncle, Malik Mumtaz Tamman, former PPP MNA from Chakwal, joined the PPP (Parliamentarians). He has now decided to join the forward bloc “as the voters wanted to get their problems solved.”

Faisal Saleh Hayat asked the PPP leadership to heed what senior politicians like Dr Sher Afgan was saying. He said the activities of some so-called champions of the party were not checked, the party would suffer irreparable loss. He said Dr Sher Afgan was not contacted by the PPP-Patriots but what he was saying, must be heeded.