LAHORE, July 9: Sheikhupura District Nazim Mian Jalil Ahmed Sharaqpuri who is facing a no-trust motion for the fourth time, has joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) on Wednesday.He is the third district nazim to join the PPP after Pakpattan’s Rao Nasim Hashim and Bahawalnagar’s Mumtaz Ahmad Matiana in the recent weeks.

Only a day before Governor Salmaan Taseer had said the PPP would hold local government elections on a party basis next year.

The announcement was made in the presence of PPP leaders Qasim Zia and Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali at a press conference.

Though he joined the PML-Q after becoming the district nazim, he denies that he had ever left the PML-N.

“It is for the first time that I’m changing party,” Sharaqpuri told a questioner at the press conference.

He said though he had been lauding the education and health policies of former chief minister Pervaiz Elahi, he never joined the PML-Q.

Qasim Zia said the PPP would support Sharaqpuri to foil the no-confidence motion against him.

He said Sharaqpuri was taken into the party fold after approval of the provincial and central leadership. He said he would work to strengthen the party in Sheikhupura.

Sharaqpuri was elected a member of the National Assembly from NA-132 (Sheikhupura-II) on a PML-N ticket in 2002. Later, he relinquished his assembly seat to contest for the office of Sheikhupura Nazim in 2005.

During his stint as district nazim he has survived three no-trust motions.