KARACHI: A member of the Sindh Assembly formerly affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League-Functional (PML-F), Imtiaz Shaikh, here on Tuesday formally announced to join the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) at a press conference at the CM House.

Imtiaz Shaikh, who had resigned from bureaucracy to become a politician 15 years ago, won a seat of the provincial assembly from Shikarpur while contesting as a PML-F candidate in the previous general elections.

At the press conference, he formally announced to resign from the basic membership of the PML-F, surrendered the assembly seat and also resigned from the position of the special assistant to the prime minister.

Those present on the occasion were Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah, Nisar Khuhro, Maula Bux Chandio, Rashid Rabbani and Sindh Asembly Speaker Agha Siraj Durani who also hails from Shikarpur district.

The CM welcomed Mr Shaikh in the PPP fold, saying that his party was a popular force in Sindh.

“This is not an ordinary example that a sitting MPA has resigned from the seat and from the position of the special assistant to the prime minister and joined us. I welcome you in the PPP family and hope that you would serve the people of Sindh and strengthen the party,” said Mr Shah.

Senior Minister for Food Nisar Khuhro said Mr Shaikh was a senior parliamentarian and his entry in the party was a good omen.

Mr Shaikh said he had joined the PPP in principle at his meeting with the PPP chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, co-chairman Asif Zardari and MNA Faryal Talpur in London.

“But today I formally quit the PML-F and join the PPP,” he said and added that he had quit the PML-F after taking PML-F chief Pir Pagara into confidence.

Punjab Governor meets CM

Punjab Governor Malik Rafique Rajwana called on Sindh Chief Minister Syed Murad Ali Shah at the CM House. They discussed the issues of mutual interest and had lunch together. Provincial cabinet members Nisar Khuhro, Mir Hazar Khan Bijarani and Maula Bux Chandio were present.

Published in Dawn, August 24th, 2016