RAHIM YAR KHAN, Nov 26: PML member and former federal parliamentary secretary for defense Major Tanveer Hussain Syed (retired) joined the Pagara-led PML (Functional) while former provincial parliamentary secretary and elder brother of RYK tehsil nazim, Mian Imtiaz Ahmed, joined PPP.

Maj Tanveer Hussain Syed will contest from NA-193 and Mian Imtiaz from NA-196. Addressing a press conference, Tanveer Hussain claimed that he had rejected a PML offer for ticket because the former ruling party was involved in bloodshed of its own people.

Mian Imtiaz Ahmed had joined the PML during the last local government elections to have his younger brother elected as tehsil nazim. Sources said there was pressure on Imtiaz from Parvaiz Elahi and the Arian clan not to join the PPP but he went ahead with his plan.

Meanwhile, 26 candidates filed papers for national and provincial assembly seats till Monday evening.

Prominent among them were former ministers Jahangir Khan Tareen, Makhdoom Khusro Bakhtiyar, Makhdoom Shahabuddin, former NA deputy speaker Jaffar Iqbal Gujjar, Ch Zafar Iqbal Warraich.

Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaaf candidates burnt the nomination papers outside the office of the returning officer to register their protest against emergency and removal of judges.