June 27, 2007	Wednesday	Jamadi-us-Sani 11, 1428

LAHORE, June 26: In a first of its kind development in the present set-up, two sitting members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to the governing Pakistan Muslim League – Khalid Mahmood Chohan (from PP-235, Vehari) and Fazal Ahmed Ranjha (from PP-118, Mandi Bahauddin) — on Tuesday defected to the Pakistan People’s Party.

Some 13 members of the Punjab Assembly belonging to the People’s Party have so far switched sides and joined the ruling Muslim League in the last four-and-a-half years since the current provincial assembly came into existence.

Another seven PPP members of the provincial assembly of Punjab had quit the party at the time of formation of the Pakistan’s People’s Party-Patriot, which joined the coalition government.

Besides, several Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz and Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal members have also defected from their parties and joined the ruling party. Some of them were given lucrative posts in the government.

Chohan was elected as an independent candidate in the 2002 elections and later joined the PML. He is the son of Qurban Chohan, a former PPP MNA from Vehari. Ranjha was elected to the assembly on a ticket of the ruling PML.

Chohan and Ranjha announced to join the PPP at a press conference called by its provincial president Shah Mahmood Quraishi. Punjab PPP general-secretary Ghulam Abbas and former foreign minister Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali were also present on the occasion.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Quraishi said the decision of Mr Chohan and Mr Ranjha would strengthen the party in the southern and northern parts of the province. He said both the members of the provincial assembly from the ruling party had joined the PPP unconditionally.

In reply to a question, he said the PPP would not take back the turncoats who had left the party. He said the party tickets for the forthcoming polls would be given to those who had stood by the party in its hard times.

Chohan said the ruling party’s policy on the issue of the Chief Justice of Pakistan and May 12 killings in Karachi had compelled him to quit the party and join the PPP.

He also reposed full confidence in the leadership of PPP chairperson Benazir Bhutto and said he had sent a copy of his resignation to her.

Ranjha said he left the PML because of corruption and autocratic behaviour of a close aide of the chief minister from Mandi Bahauddin. He said the aide had unleashed a reign of terror and corruption in the district.