MULTAN, April 16: Former federal minister Sikandar Bosan joined the PML-N on Tuesday after leaving Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf. He will be the PML-N candidate for NA-151.

The move is a setback for the PTI as Bosan was regarded as one of the party heavyweights in Multan.

Addressing a press conference along Senator Rafiq Rajwana and PML-N district president Bilal Butt, Bosan said he met former chief minister Shahbaz Sharif in Lahore on Monday evening and decided to join the PML-N. He said he had taken the decision with the consent of his voters.

Senator Rajwana said that the party had decided to leave the PP-200 falling under NA-151 open. Sources said the PML-N did so on the pressure of Bosan who wanted ticket for his younger brother Shaukat Bosan whereas the party had earlier promised to award ticket to former PPP MPA Ahmad Hussain Dehar who joined the PML-N a couple of weeks ago.

Rajwana said the party would accept any candidate who would win from PP-200. Aspirants for PML-N ticket are Malik Ahmad Hussain Dehar, Shaukat Bosan and Malik Ashiq Ali Shujra.

Dehar who earlier won this seat as a PPP candidate fell out with the Gilani family.

Abdul Qadir Gilani who is the PPP candidate for NA-151 is also in run for PP-200.

Mr Bosan won NA-151 as a PML-Q nominee in 2002 elections by obtaining 47368 votes and defeated Syed Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani, the younger brother of former prime minister Syed Yousaf Raza Gilani, with a margin of 3000 votes.

In 2008, Yousaf Raza Gilani defeated Bosan with a margin of over 20,000 votes as the ex-PM obtained 77664 votes against Bosan’s 45765. The seat fell vacant after Gilani was disqualified last year.

Bosan did not contest the subsequent by-poll as the PTI had stayed away and fielded his younger brother Shaukat Hayat Bosan as an independent against Abdul Qadir Gilani, the elder son of former prime minister. The junior Gilani won the seat by a margin of 4000 votes.