May 17, 2008	Saturday	Jamadi-ul-Awwal 11, 1429

LAHORE, May 16: As the tone of Governor Salman Taseer’s oath-taking ceremony made it clear what the Pakistan People’s Party has in mind for Punjab, its partner in the ruling coalition, the PML-N, has also stepped up its efforts to find new allies for the future political scenario.

Sources say that some foreign as well as local friends are trying to bring PML-N chief Mian Muhammad Nawaz Sharif and Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi together.

A British MP of Gujrat origin as well as Syed Mushahid Husain and Salim Saifullah Khan are playing a major role in this regard. Khan, sources claim, has even called on Sharif in Islamabad before the recent PML-N central working committee meeting there.

In fact, they say, a process for the unification of various League factions has been set in as former prime minister Mir Zafarullah Jamali is calling on Nawaz in Lahore soon while moves are on for a handshake between the Sharifs and the Chaudhrys.

Husain and Khan could not be contacted despite several attempts by phone.

Besides unifying the Leaguers, Nawaz is also improving his support base in camps other than the All Parties Democratic Movement (APDM), especially in Sindh, it is learnt.

He hosted Sindh National Front leader Mumtaz Bhutto at a luncheon at his Raiwind residence on Friday while efforts are on to woo Qadir Magsi, another Sindhi leader.

The sources say that Punjabi Pakhtoon Ittehad leader Sikander Awan is likely to visit Nawaz’s younger brother Shahbaz Sharif in the next few days, while attempts are also being made to take the recently-released Baloch leader Akhtar Mengal along.

Answering a question about recent meeting of the Chaudhrys with President Musharraf, the sources say that the PML-N is confident that as the presidency has tilted towards the PPP, there is not much left with it to offer to the PML-Q.

PML-N officials say that Mr Sharif reversed his decision of not contesting the by-polls to be able to play an active role in the politics through parliament instead of watching the political game from the sidelines.

“His being in the parliament will make it easier to handle and take along other parties in the tough days ahead.”