TOBA TEK SINGH: Elected to the Punjab Assembly with PML-N support in the Oct 14 by-poll, newly-elected independent MPA Bilal Asghar Warraich joined the ruling party on Thursday.

PTI MNA Riaz Fatyana reportedly convinced the MPA-elect to join the PTI as he visited his house in Gojra on Wednesday and reportedly delivered him a `message’ of party chief Imran Khan.

Bilal met Jehangir Tareen on Thursday in Islamabad who took him to the prime minister house.

Bilal had won PP-118 as an independent candidate but with the PML-N support.

He earned the N-League backing when his elder brother PML-N MNA from Gojra Khalid Javed Warraich’s wife Fauzia Warraich’s nomination papers were rejected by the Supreme Court because she had not resigned as the district council chairperson before filing her nomination papers as the PML-N ticket holder.

In her place, PML-N awarded ticket to Mansoor Ahmad Bhangoo but he had to withdraw his candidature after MNA Khalid Javed Warraich resolved his old differences with Bilal.

Reacting to Bilal’s move, MNA Warraich said he (Bilal) had done so on his own “without seeking my consent.”

Published in Dawn, October 19th, 2018