February 23, 2008	Saturday	Safar 15, 1429

ISLAMABAD, Feb 22: As the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) emerged the single largest party in the National Assembly, independent candidates have started joining the party.

The first MPs to announce their joining of the party on Friday were independent MNAs-elect, Akhundzada Chatan from Tribal Area (NA-44), Rana Farooq Saeed Khan from Faisalabad (NA-79) and MPA-elect from Mansehra (PF-53) Shuja Khan.

Mr Chatan said he was already affiliated with the PPP, but had contested the polls as an independent candidate.

Rana Farooq had quit the PPP after he was denied party ticket to contest February 18 general elections from Faisalabad.

Similarly, an MPA-elect from Mansehra Shujat Khan also announced his joining of the PPP at a press conference in Islamabad on Friday.

Speaking on the occasion, Shuja Khan said he knew that the ANP was in a position to form a government in the province, but he had decided to join the PPP as, he added, the party truly represented the federation.

NWFP president of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) Rahimdad Khan, who was also present on the occasion, said the Awami National Party (ANP) had the right to form a government in the province and that the PPP, despite securing second position in the elections, was not in the run to form government.

The PPP leader said his party had won 17 seats and three independent candidates were also about to join the party, but the party believed that only Awami National Party (ANP) had a right to form the government.

Rahimdad Khan said the PPP was not interested in forming the government and that it would continue to play its role to strengthen the federation. He claimed that the party was in a strong enough position in the province to form a government, but following the party’s directives, it would not go for it.

MPA-elect Najamuddin Khan, who had in the past presented a resolution to change the name of the NWFP to Pakhtoonkhwa, said he would support the ANP’s move to change the province’s name.

Faisal Karim Kundi, also present on the occasion, who defeated Maulana Fazlur Rehman in his DI Khan, criticized the five-year performance of the MMA government in the NWFP.