LAYYAH, Aug 9: A PML-Q member of the National Assembly (MNA) has urged President Pervez Musharraf to resign and avail the opportunity of ‘safe passage’ offered to him by PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari.

Local political analysts smelled Sehar’s statement as an indication of his joining the PPP. Reports reaching here from Islamabad also suggest he is on the threshold of joining the PPP.

Talking to Dawn, MNA Sardar Bahadur Khan Sehar said in the larger interest of the country and the nation, President Musharraf must tender his resignation to avoid confrontation. The country and the nation were not able to face political destabilisation any more, Sehar said.

Political analysts are of the view that MNA Sehar’s abandoning the PML-Q may prove first drop of rain, motivating many others to follow. Also, this may be the beginning of an end of PML-Q’s rule over this district. The move, according to them, would change local political scenario and cause a huge blow to the PML-Q.

Former district nazim Sardar Shahabuddin Khan has also decided deserting the PML-Q and joining the PPP. Shahabuddin is the son-in-law of District Nazim Malik Ghulam Haider Thind of the PML-Q and first cousin of MNA Sehar.

MNA Sehar and Shahabuddin reportedly met Zardari in Islamabad on Friday and discussed with him local political scene where they also nodded their joining the PPP along with their families and followers.

A formal announcement to this effect will be announced in a press conference expected today in Islamabad along with some federal ministers.

Talking to Dawn, Shahabuddin said that they were joining the PPP, which was their mother party, to practice “pro-people” politics. —Correspondent