LAHORE, Sept 13: The PML-N received the most serious setback so far when its Lahore president, Haji Hanif, following in the footsteps of several other colleagues, joined unconditionally the ruling PML on Tuesday, expressing confidence in the leadership of Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi.

The blow was dealt at a time when the PML-N, the PPP and the MMA were finalizing joint candidates for district and town nazims to give a tough time to the ruling party contestants. Until Monday, Haji had been participating in meetings which discussed strategy to give the ruling party a ‘crushing defeat’ in the third and the last phase of the local elections in Lahore.

Haji Hanif called on the chief minister and joined the party, of which the latter is the provincial president. The chief minister praised the sagacity of the PML-N leader and said his decision was important.

Already, about half a dozen PML-N leaders, and some from the PPP and the MMA, have crossed over to the ruling party, because of which the opposition’s position in the provincial legislature has weakened. Disqualification references filed against them are not being forwarded as the speaker has questioned the locus standi of the ‘parliamentary party leaders’ who are seeking action against deserters.

Haji told reporters that he was impressed by the development works being carried out in the provincial metropolis.

PML-N sources said that Mian Nawaz Sharif initially did not believe that Haji Hanif could change loyalty. But when he was told that he had left the party, the exiled former prime minister was shocked.

It is said that the party has been asked to explore reasons behind desertions and propose measures to stop them.

Chief Minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi had said in an interview with this paper a few months ago that all PML-N legislators were welcome to join the ruling party as ‘they are from us’.

The ruling party leaders claim that some more PML-N people would be joining the PML in the weeks ahead.

Opposition sources say that the matter would be raised in a session of the Punjab Assembly starting on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Lahore PML-N office-bearers said at a news conference that Haji Hanif and his son had left the party for the sake of power. They said the PML-N would remain unaffected. They claimed that Lahore was the stronghold of Mian Nawaz Sharif and would remain so in the future. Those who spoke included Mian Mujtaba Shujaa, Malik Riaz, Mian Marghoob, Khwaja Ahmed Hassan, Mian Tariq, Majid Zahoor, Sibghat Sultan and Khwaja Imran Nazir.