10 March 2004	Wednesday	18 Muharram 1425

RAHIM YAR KHAN, March 9: Mr Zafar Iqbal Warraich who resigned as MNA on Tuesday has been associated with the People's Party for the last two decades. Also holding the office of the district PPP president , Mr Warraich ran for NA-149 and NA-196 thrice and twice he defeated former NA deputy speaker and PML-N stalwart Jafar Iqbal Gujjar.

Rumours have been rife in local political circles for quite some time that he was going to strike a deal with the ruling part. A local politician who knows Mr Warraich said the ex-MNA would soon join the PML-Q. According to him, Mr Warraich was in close contact with Bahawalpur District Nazim Tariq Bashir Cheema whose leanings towards the Punjab Chief Minister were known to all.

Mr Cheema, it may be added, was elected district nazim with PPP support. Meanwhile, city PPP president Irfan Abdullah Gujar said that his party was devising a strategy to deal with the situation after the resignation of Mr Warraich.

When his main political rival Jafar Iqbal was contacted by telephone, he said that Zafar Warraich had betrayed his voters besides damaging his political career.

He said that this resignation was the outcome of a deal between him (Warraich) and the Punjab chief minister.

VISIT: American Consul-General Mr Exmore visited Rahim Yar Khan and met District Nazim Ahmad Mahmood, Mrs Naseem Shiekh, general secretary, women wing, PPP (Patriot), and MPA Mian Imtiaz.