December 12, 2007	Wednesday	Zilhaj 1, 1428

TOBA TEK SINGH, Dec 11: Two former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) leaders who were also offered party tickets for the general elections are likely to join Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

Chaudhry Saifullah Cheema was given PPP ticket for NA-92, Gojra, but later the ticket was withdrawn from him and given to Chaudhry Khalid Bashir, who is a known transporter of the area.

Disappointed Cheema, according to sources, attended Nawaz Sharif’s Monday’s public meeting in Faisalabad to protest his party’s politics. He is reportedly very close to announcing his participation in the PML-N.

Similarly, former MPA Mian Muhammad Rafiq was given PPP ticket for PP-90, Toba Tek Singh, but he returned the ticket to protest the attitude of former federal minister Khalid Ahmad Kharal. According to Rafiq, Kharal had harmed him during previous elections. Feeling uncomfortable with Kharal, Rafiq had returned the ticket and decided to contest the elections as an independent candidate.

Later, Mian Junaid Anwaar, who is now PML-N ticket holder for NA-93, and PML-N district president Chaudhry Amjad Ali Javed persuaded Rafiq to join their party.

They invited him to attend Nawaz Sharif’s public meeting in Faisalabad’s Dhobi Ghaat on Monday, which he did. Rafiq is now likely to bag PML-N ticket for the constituency PP-90.

—Correspondent