As many as 42 important political and social figures, including former federal minister Liaquat Bhatti, called on Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Parvez Elahi and Pakistan Muslim League (PML) Punjab General Secretary Kamil Ali Agha in Lahore on Friday and announced joining the PML.

Asad Abbas Shah, 11 former Nazims and Naib Nazims and 11 present and former office-bearers of various bars were among those who met Parvez and Agha.

Speaking on this occasion, Parvez said that doors of the Pakistan Muslim League are open for those who left it. Those who left it can return to it since the PML is their political home, he said. He said the Pakistan Muslim League does politics of people.

Parvez said, “We are playing our role as a partner in prosperity of people and solving problems of the masses at large. In upcoming local bodies elections, we will field our candidates throughout Punjab and continue to give surprises vis-à-vis new entrants. Be it the government front or political wrangling, we always take our colleagues along.”

Leaders who joined the PML on Friday included former federal minister for communication and works from Hafizabad Liaquat Abbas Bhatti, PML former candidate for provincial assembly seat in Toba Tek Singh Asad Abbas Shah, Chaudhry Javed Ahmad Goraya (president of the Ferozewala Bar Association), Chaudhry Qaiser Mukhtar Gujjar (secretary of the Ferozewala Bar Association), Chaudhry Muhammad Akram Butter Advocate (former president), Chaudhry Sher Ahmad Warraich (former president), Chaudhry Rehmat Ali Dhillon Advocate (former president), Rana Hidayat Ali Advocate (former president), Asif Bashir Mirza Advocate (former president), Chaudhry Muhammad Akbar Chahal Advocate (former president), Mian Shahid Mehmood Advocate (former vice president), Chaudhry Naeem Basra Advocate, Chaudhry Ayyaz Safdar Sindhu Advocate, Chaudhry Ahmad Sultan Cheema Advocate (former vice president), Chaudhry Nabeel Nabi (former nazim of Samundari Town), Naeem Minhaar, Akhtar Sabir Naeem (former nazim of union council), Khalid Lambardar (former nazim of union council), Mujahid Muhammad Yaar Padhana (social worker), Shafqat Mehmod (former nazim of Union Cuncil), Shehzad Hameed (former nazim of union council), Abdul Hameed (former nazim of union council), Tariq Lambardar (candidate for union council nazim’s office), Chaudhry Mohammad Yaar (president of PIDA), Zeeshan Ayyaz Natt (chairman of union council), Abdul Manan Khokhar (former naib nazim of union council), Nadeem Arshad (former nazim of union council), Rana Liaquat (former councillor), Ejaz Ahmad (naib nazim of union council), Sanaullah (former nazim of union council), Imran Manzoor (candidate for union council nazim’s office), Imran Nadeem Advocate, social workers Muhammad Aslam, Muhammad Rafiq, Mohammad Anwar Lambardar, Chaudhry Wahab Toor Advocate (former nazim of Wadhuchak Union Council), Chaudhry Mukhtar Alam (social worker), Chaudhry Farooq (former member from Seuhra), Chaudhry Adnan Akhtar Advocate (secretary of the Shakargarh Bar Association), Chaudhry Abbas (social worker), Chaudhry Faisal Gulzar Advocate (chairman of the Khanuwal Union Council), social workers Chaudhry Zafar, Chaudhry Shakeel, Chaudhry Rashed and Chaudhry Imtiaz, Malik Liaquat Ali Nasowana Advocate, Rai Maratab Ali Bhatti, Rai Majid Ali Bhatti, Malik Tajammul Hassan Nasowana Advocate and Sheikh Adnan Nawaz.