LAHORE: The Nawaz and Likeminded factions of the Pakistan Muslim League on Saturday inked an agreement for seat adjustment in the general election as Nawaz Sharif reconciled with Hamid Nasir Chattha after 20 years of political rivalry.

The deal will provide the PML-N, at present confined mostly to Punjab, some electables from Sindh (like Arbab Ghulam Rahim and Ghaffar Qureshi) and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (like Salim Saifullah and Gohar Ayub).

Iqbal Zafar Jhagra and Humayun Akhtar Khan, secretary-generals of PML-N and PML-Likeminded, respectively, told media personnel after signing the agreement that the latter would be given 11 per cent quota in allocation of seats both in the National as well as provincial assemblies.

The Likeminded would be given representation in the PML-N parliamentary boards for finalising candidates, Mr Jhagra explained, adding that all nominees would, however, be contesting against the PML-N’s election symbol.

Mr Jhagra asserted that the formula would not cause heart burning among PML-N ranks.

Asked what benefit the PML-N would gain from the understanding, he said it would help avert division of the Pakistan Muslim League’s vote bank by sending a positive message to its supporters.

He told a questioner that other League factions might follow this ‘first drop of rain’ as the PML-N would welcome them to its folds ‘in the larger national interest’.

An official said the addition of big names in the party would help put an end to the impression that Tehrik-i-Insaaf was the ruling party of the future, a belief lent credence after some heavyweights joined it.

He claimed that by accepting ‘Musharraf remnants’ into the PTI, Imran Khan had forced the PML-N to “go for the hunt”. The agreement took shape when a 20-member Likeminded delegation visited the Raiwind residence of Nawaz Sharif, where Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif received them at the main gate.

Former National Assembly speaker Hamid Nasir Chattha put aside his ego to be part of the delegation and shook hands with former prime minister Nawaz Sharif after almost 20 years.

Mr Chattha had developed differences with Mr Sharif in 1993, terming the latter a trader and not a politician and engineering a revolt against the then PML-N government in Punjab.

An insider said that Mr Chattha expressed regret for the wasted years, saying the acrimony did no good for the Muslim League nor the nation.

In reply to a question, he said Humayun Akhtar was interested in contesting elections from a rural seat of Faisalabad contrary to an impression that the former MNA wanted to regain Lahore seat back through reconciliation with the PML-N.

FISSURES: The agreement brought to surface differences within the ranks of the Likeminded as its Punjab chapter chief MPA Ata Maneka resigned from his office hours after word spread about the deal. His grievance was that he was not taken into confidence over the deal with the PML-N.

Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani telephoned Mr Maneka from London, hailing the MPA’s ‘political wisdom’, sources told Dawn.

The N League claims that through the move the PPP wanted to derail the Shahbaz government in Punjab to offset the opposition’s contemplated march on Islamabad.

A PML-N official claimed that Mr Maneka was being offered the post of chief minister provided he managed to drum up enough support from the Unification Bloc he had put together in the Punjab Assembly. Mr Shahbaz is ruling the province with the help of this group.