ISLAMABAD - Former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) senior leader Nawazada Ghazanfar Gul is likely to join the ruling Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), The Nation has learnt reliably.
Though Gul, who had earlier announced severing his three-decade-old association with the PPP by relinquishing all positions including the CEC membership, has not taken any decision about his future line of action, he met Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif in the National Assembly on Friday after the budget speech.
Nawabzada Gul bid farewell to the PPP last week saying “there was no space left for him in the party”.
Well-placed sources said that PM Sharif has been in good terms with Gul and his family for the last several decades. They said PM Sharif was also junior to Nawabzada Gul in the Government College Lahore and the premier also likes his “style of politics’.
Nawabzada Mazhar, the elder brother Nawabzada Gul, is a Member of National Assembly from Gujrat on a PML-N ticket. According to the sources, Nawabzada Mazhar has been facing some health issues and it was likely that the PML-N will offer ticket to Nawazbzad Gul, if he joins the party, in the next general elections.
Nawabzada Gul confirmed to The Nation about his meeting with the prime minister.
“Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif appreciates his principled decision,” he said through a text message.
On Friday, while leaving the National Assembly hall after the budget speech, the prime minister spotted Nawabzada Gul and took him along.
PM told Nawabzad Gul that “he himself had read the whole story of his ending thirty years of association with the PPP. It’s a principled decision taken by you, he (PM) remarked. It’s a right decision and I admire you for this. We always appreciate and support men of principles. Main sahib, you know me well that I always stood on principles. PM looked very happy about it”, Nawabzada Gul said while sharing on WhatsApp his conversation with PM Sharif.
Replying to a question regarding his joining of the PML-N, he said: “I can’t say (anything) at the moment if they invite me. I will discuss with them”.
Last week, in his message to PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari and PPP Co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari, Nawabzad Gul said: “Ref (reference to) my unanswered WhatsApp msg (message) to Bilawal Bhutto and Asif Zardari, I find myself a stranger in the party now, as I’m not compatible with the current new and corporate culture of the party. I’m left with no other option but to withdraw myself from the party. It is the saddest day of my life to end thirty years of struggle and association with the party”.
Replying a question, Nawabzada Gul told The Nation that he took the decision of quitting the PPP with a heavy heart and he was not in contact with any other political party right now. I will think and consider, if contacted by other political parties, to join them.