ISLAMABAD, May 29: In a surprising move, Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq Khan, a Pakistan Muslim League-N legislator from Haripur, called on President Asif Ali Zardari at the President House on Tuesday.

His meeting with the president at a time when his party was busy in mounting pressure on the PPP-led government to quit and hold early elections raised many an eyebrow. Political observers termed it a political success of the PPP and a setback for the PML-N.

Interestingly, Sardar Mushtaq was accompanied by old PPP guard Ejaz Durrani and PML-N’s Haripur secretary general Malik Rab Nawaz.

Talking to Dawn, Sardar Mushtaq said the meeting was of a ‘non-political affair’ and he had discussed with the president incomplete projects in his constituency. “The president was very kind and promised to release special funds for my constituency and undertake the delayed projects,” he said.

Asked if he would face party action for his meeting, Sardar Mushtaq said: “Why would I be questioned when so many party legislators have received huge funds from the government for their development projects”.

However, a senior PML-N leader who did not want to be named told Dawn that the meeting could be result of Sardar Mushtaq’s land scam case in NAB and his fear that he might not get party ticket after PML-N’s seat adjustment deal with the PML (Likeminded).

Sardar Mushtaq, according to the PML-N leader, was involved in embezzlement of millions of rupees in the purchase of land for a project and he had also been arrested on charges of fraud.

He said that although Sardar Mushtaq had been assured by the PML-N leadership that he would not lose his party ticket despite the seat adjustment, it appeared that his fears were still there and he might have contacted the PPP for a ticket.