LAHORE: Former prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Thursday called Prof Sajid Mir to tell him that he should get ready to contest the Senate election on the PML-N ticket as the party has decided to field him.

This is for the fifth time Prof Sajid Mir, chief of Jamiat Ahle Hadith, will contest the Senate election on the PML-N ticket.

“The most interesting thing is that Prof Mir had never applied for the ticket. Mian (Nawaz Sharif) Sahib always called him to offer it and did it on Thursday afternoon as well,” says a party spokesman.

According to him, Nawaz Sharif termed Allama Sajid Mir a most trusted ally, who deserves his and his party’s support to be part of the Senate. Mir promised to continue working for strengthening of Islamic moorings and democracy.

“In fact, the PML-N had outsourced all its contacts with religious elements in the country to Prof Sajid Mir and he has served the party well. Thus his importance for the PML-N is much more than a single party or a single senator. With him on board, the party’s religious credentials get boosted and contact with other groups is maintained regularly and efficiently,” says a party insider.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2021