BAHAWALPUR: PTI leader and former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaisar visited Bahawalpur on Sunday night and had a dinner with former PML-N MPA Khalid Jajja at his farmhouse in Yazman.

PML-N’s former senator Saood Majid Chaudhry, considered close to the Sharifs, was also present at the dinner hosted in honour of Asad Qaisar by Khalid Jajja .

Neither Chaudhry nor Jajja responded to phone calls by this correspondent.

An aide of Saood Majid Chaudhry confirmed that ex-senator had attended the dinner but insisted no political matter was discussed.

According to him, it was nothing more than a social gathering of friends. “Saood Chaudhry has strong and old affiliation with the PML-N and cannot leave it”.

Dawn learnt that Jajja had invited some of notables from Charsadda (KP) to his native village in Yazman tehsil where Asad Qaisar also joined them and reports claimed that they had a joint excursion in the vast desert of Cholistan and spent entire Sunday at Chawki Banwala rest house.

Those who have an eye on local politics consider Asad Qaisar’s visit may have something to do with future political alignment in Yazman.

According to them, Tariq Bashir Cheema, a confidant of PML-Q chief Chauchry Shujaat Hussain ,who is an arch rival of Saood Chaudhry in Yazman politics is now-a-days is not only a member of the federal cabinet but also close to PM Shahbaz Sharif.

According to local political circles, Cheema is planning to launch his son Walidad in next elections from Yazman.

This future scenario is worrying for Cheema’s rivals, including Saood Majid Chaudhry and Khalid Jajja ,who have also geared up their mass contact campaign in the area.

Published in Dawn, December 5th, 2022