PML-Zia Chief Ijaz ul Haq- File Photo

LAHORE: Chief of Pakistan Muslim League- Zia Ijaz-ul-Haq decided on Tuesday that he was joining Pakistan Muslim League- Nawaz (PML-N), DawnNews reported.

Ijaz, son of former military dictator Zia-ul-Haq, said that he would formally announce his decision in a few days after meeting with PML-N Chief Nawaz Sharif.

He said that he took this decision because he wanted alliance of the Muslim League. Adding that, he said that he was always part of the Muslim League and will always be.

Ijaz remained federal minister for Labour, Manpower and overseas Pakistanis from 1997- 1999 in Nawaz Sharif's government.He stepped down from the post following differences with Sharif, who was overthrown shortly afterwards by General Pervez Musharraf in 1999.

Forming his own PML splinter faction, Zia-ul-Haq, Ijaz was elected to the National Assembly for a record fourth time in the 2002 general election. Initially allying himself with Musharraf's PML-Q party, he was appointed federal minister for religious affairs.

He lost for the first time in the 2008 general election, and resigned from the PML-Q in February 2010.

His revived PML-Zia upset the Pakistan Peoples Party in Bahawalnagar for Member of the Provincial Assembly in March 2010.

Opinion

Editorial

Hardening lines
Updated 22 May, 2026

Hardening lines

Iranian suspicions about Pakistan’s close ties with Washington and Gulf states persist, while Pakistan remains uneasy over Tehran’s growing engagement with India.
Unliveable city
22 May, 2026

Unliveable city

IN Karachi, when it comes to water, it is every man and woman for themselves. A persistent shortage in available...
Glof alert
22 May, 2026

Glof alert

FOR many communities in northern Pakistan, the sound of heavy rain now carries a different meaning. It is no longer...
External woes
Updated 21 May, 2026

External woes

Relying indefinitely on remittances to offset structural economic weaknesses is not sustainable.
Political activity
21 May, 2026

Political activity

THE opposition is astir. There is talk of widespread protests this Friday over a list of dissatisfactions with the...
Seizing hope
21 May, 2026

Seizing hope

ISRAEL’S tyranny knows no bounds. After intercepting the Global Sumud Flotilla that set sail last week, disturbing...