KARACHI, Dec 21: Pakistan Muslim League-Functional president Pir Sibghatullah Shah Rashidi (Pir Pagara) has said that Makhdoom Ahmed Mahmood, who was party’s chief in Punjab, does not hold the position any more and his decision to accept the governorship of Punjab is his personal act.

Addressing a press conference at his residence on Friday, Pir Pagara said: “We have taken a stand on certain issues being confronted by Sindh and it is not going to change after Mr Mahmood has been made the Punjab governor.”

The PML-F chief said Mr Mahmood had called on him on Thursday night to inform that he had been offered the post of Punjab governor.

“I tried to prevail upon him,” Pir Pagara said, adding he told Mr Mahmood that after assuming the office of the governor he would become ineligible to contest the elections.

However, he said, it was clear from Mr Mahmood’s attitude that he had made up his mind and after the meeting he was going to Bilawal House to meet President Asif Ali Zardari.

He said Mr Mahmood had never been in the People’s Party and it would be interesting to see how he would come to the PPP’s expectations.

When his attention was drawn towards Mr Mahmood’s political contacts in Rahimyar Khan district from where he could win two or three seats of the Punjab Assembly, Pir Pagara said these seats were not going to change the position of the PML-N or PPP in the province.

Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaaf leader Jahangir Tareen was present at the press conference.

When Mr Tareen was asked about the possibility of a meeting between Imran Khan and Pir Pagara, he said the role being played by Pir Pagara to activate his party in Sindh had been appreciated by the PTI and it would like to work with the PML-F to bring a change at the national level.

He said PTI had chalked out a plan for Imran Khan’s visit to Sindh and Balochistan and a meeting between the two leaders would be held soon to formulate a joint strategy for elections.