LAHORE, March 6: Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi said on Monday the PML would emerge as an important and strong political party as a result of its thumping victory in the Senate elections.

He was speaking at a news conference after the Senate elections here at the Punjab Assembly. He said the PML had won an additional seat in the Senate election which was a proof of the people’s and their representatives’ trust in the party’s programme and its leadership.

He said the provincial government was advancing a coordinated agenda formed on the pattern set by the president. And the people of the province and the country knew as to how effectively this agenda was being implemented in every sphere of life. The Senate election results reflected how fruitful the reforms were.

The chief minister said four PML candidates to the Senate seats from Punjab had already returned unopposed. And now with the victory of another four PML candidates, the party now occupied nine out of the total 11 Punjab seats.

He said the government would use the party majority in the Senate in the best interests of the province. The victory had given a new vigour to the party workers.

The chief minister congratulated the winning party candidates and hoped that they would help reduce and resolve the problems of the people. He also thanked the Punjab PML MPAs for ensuring the victory of their party candidates.

Replying to a question about the defection of PPP MPAs, he said there was an overall trend among people to join the PML in view of its welfare agenda. This defection was part of the trend.

He said it was his desire that a maximum number of PML-N and PPP MPAs and workers would support the PML’s welfare agenda.