LAHORE - PML-N leaders from Balochistan met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif at Jati Umra here yesterday and shared views on the upcoming Senate polls.

The Baloch leaders of the party devised strategy to ensure victory of the party candidates in the Senate polls and the way to counter the ‘horse-trading’ going on by the rival political leader to win over support of the Baloch MPAs.

It may be mentioned that despite having majority strength of 21 members in the 65-member Balochistan Assembly, the PML-N had lost the Chief Ministership last month after majority of the party MPAs turned against its CM Sanaullah Zehri and replaced him with Abdul Qadus Bizenjo of PML-Q when this party had only five members in the house. The party strongly believes that PPP President Asif Ali Zardari was behind the move.

 and was cautious that a hidden hand could again play a game against it in the March 3 Senate polls.

 As such the party was devising a strategy to check horse-trading and keep its members in the party fold for the purpose of voting the PML-N candidates.

Federal Minister Gen (r) Abdul Qadir Baloch, Sanaullah Zehri, PML-N Balochistan President Sardar Yaqoob Nasir, Mir Afzal Mondokhel, Railways Minister Khawaja Saad Rafiq, Asif Ali Kirmani and others were present in the meeting.

Sources say the meeting decided to ensure victory of party candidate Mir Afzal Mondokhel on the general seat and to make full efforts under the law to check the elements involved in buying loyalties.

Later a delegation of Gilgit-Biltastan ministers, led by GB CM, Hafiz Hafeezur Rahman met former prime minister Nawaz Sharif who told them to expedite the mass contact drive so that any move against the party government in that province could be thwarted.

Nawaz Sharif said on the occasion that the PML-N government took many steps for development of GB like it did in other parts of the country.