LAHORE: In a rare show of its kind, Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif on Friday introduced PML-N nominees for Senate from Punjab’s quota to the voters – provincial assembly members.

The effort is aimed at ensuring that the Nawaz League wins all seats of the upper house of parliament from the province so that the objective of claiming chairmanship of the Senate becomes easier.

The ruling party’s MPAs were invited to the CM’s office where he delivered an hour-long lecture, recalling the problems the government faced one year after coming into power in the form of prolonged Islamabad sit-ins.

Take a look: Parliament Watch: Choice offices await ‘worthy’ PML-N candidates post-Senate polls

Underscoring the services rendered by the Senate nominees for the cause of democracy and party, he urged the MPAs to always keep in mind stability and progress of the country.

CM’s son Hamza Shahbaz had been giving audience to MPAs division-wise during the last couple of days to quell any chances of dissension among them on the selection of the Senate nominees -- Pervaiz Rashid, retired Lt-Gen Abdul Qayyum, Mushahidullah Khan, Nihal Hashmi, Saleem Zia, Ghaus Niazi and Chaudhry Tanveer on seven general seats, Raja Zafarul Haq and Prof Sajid Mir (MJAH president) on two seats for technocrats and Najma Hameed and Raheela Magsi on two seats reserved for women.

Many PML-N MPAs have reservations against a couple of nominees, who are either not member of the party or have recently joined it.

Hamza urged the lawmakers to maintain unity in their ranks and ensure implementation of the decisions of the party leadership, stressing that every vote of members of legislative assemblies participating in Senate elections is of paramount importance, therefore, the assembly members should discharge this obligation as a national responsibility.

Former law minister Rana Sanaullah held a separate reception for the provincial legislators to brief them on procedure, rules and regulations for casting vote in Senate elections.

Meanwhile, Inamullah Khan Niazi, who won as an independent MPA from a Mianwali constituency in a by-election, announced joining the PML-N. Shahbaz Sharif welcomed back into the party folds Niazi, who had abandoned it a couple of years ago and joined his cousin Imran Khan’s PTI.

However, his stint in the PTI could not prove longer and he left it on denial of party ticket in the by-polls.

Published in Dawn, February 28th, 2015

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