AHMEDPUR EAST-Former prime minister Syed Yousuf Raza Gilani’s maternal nephew Makhdoom Syed SamiulHassan Gilani has joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
He along with PTI Central General Secretary Jehangir Tareen and PTI South Punjab President Ishaq Khakwani called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan at his residence in Islamabad and announced to join the party. It is pertinent to mention that as a nominee of Amir of Bahawalpur Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, Syed Samiul Hassan Gilani was elected chairman of District Council Bahawalpur in 1998 and Tehsil Nazim Ahmedpur East in the 2001 local government elections. Later, Syed Samiul Hassan joined PML-Q and Bahawalpur National Awami Party (BNAP) and contested for NA-183 Ahmedpur East but faced defeat twice. Earlier, his younger brother Syed Suhail Hassan Gilani was also defeated for NA-seat in 2002 general elections.
Syed Samiul Hassan’s step brother Syed Ali Hassan is PML-N MNA from NA-183 Ahmedpur East. Now, ex-MNA Arif Aziz Sheikh and Samiul Hassan are aspirants of PTI ticket. Arif Aziz had joined PTI on the move of PTI Central Vice Chairman Makhdoom Shah Mehmood Qureshi. Meanwhile, PTI sources claimed that Samiul Hassan has been assured by PTI leadership that BNAP MPA Makhdoom Syed Iftikhar Hassan will also join PTI soon.