LAHORE, Sept 18: The widow and son of late federal minister Abdul Sattar Laleka announced joining the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz here on Tuesday.

Abdul Sattar Laleka of Bahawalnagar district was a federal minister in Pakistan Muslim League-Q government. He died in 2004.

Late Laleka’s widow Shahida Sattar Laleka and his son Alam Dad Laleka called on PML-N President Nawaz Sharif at his Raiwind residence here and expressed their confidence in his leadership.

They said only Mr Sharif and his team were capable of steering the country out of the present crises.

Welcoming the Lalekas into the party folds, Mr Sharif said that with their joining, the PML-N would be further strengthened.

The development is expected to give a boost to the PML-N in Bahawalnagar district where the party had failed to woo Pakistan People’s Party MNA Afzal Sindhu and lost him to the Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf.

The Lalekas enjoyed a good repute and following in the local politics as the late Laleka had won four out of six times he contested for a National Assembly seat.

Shahida Sattar had contested 2008 election on PML-Q ticket from NA-190, Bahawalnagar, but was defeated and stood third. The seat was bagged by Mumtaz Alam Gilani of the PPP. The late Laleka had started his political career by contesting 1985 non-party elections when he was elected an MNA after defeating PPP candidate Mian Afzal Wattoo. Later he joined the PML.

In 1988, he defeated PPP’s Malik Muhammad Qasim and later served as a minister in the caretaker Punjab government.

In 1997, he won against Mian Mumtaz Ahmad Matyana of the PPP and became a federal food minister in Nawaz’s cabinet.

In 1999, after Sharifs were sent packing to Saudi Arabia by Gen Pervez Musharraf after a military coup, he joined the then ‘king’s party’ PML-Q and became an MNA in the 2002 general elections.