LAHORE: Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP) patron-in-chief and candidate for NA-149 Multan Jahangir Khan Tareen has secured the support of two PML-N candidates for provincial assembly on Sunday.

The PML-N candidates for PP-215 and PP-217 are now supporting Tareen as their own party didn’t field any candidate for the national assembly in the constituency. Other candidates for NA-149 include Rizwan Hans of the PPP, Malik Aamir Dogar of the PTI and Makhdoom Javed Hashimi, who has previously served two terms as MNA from NA-149, is in the contest as an independent candidate.

Mr Dogar also won the seat two times. It’s his ancestral constituency and his uncle also remained an MNA while his father also contested election from this seat several times.

Mr Tareen on Sunday afternoon met with the PML-N candidate for PP-217 and former MNA Sheikh Tariq Rashid at his residence.

Mr Rashid announced his support for Tareen in NA-149, pledging to ensure Tareen’s success in the constituency. Tareen expressed his gratitude to Rashid and more than 15 union council chairmen for their support.

Earlier, Tareen had visited the house of independent candidate, Malik Fahim Arshad Shujra, from PP-215. Shujra announced his withdrawal in favour of PML-N candidate in the constituency Shahid Mahmood Khan and pledged full support for Tareen.

Mr Tareen later participated in a corner meeting at Khan’s election office at Chowk No. 9 where he acknowledged the morale boost on getting support and reiterated his commitment to serving the people and solving their problems. He emphasised the importance of a strong economy for the country’s progress and pledged to work towards improving it and controlling inflation.

Shahid Mahmood Khan urged his constituents to vote for Tareen first.

In a workers’ convention in Lodhran, Tareen stated that the IPP would serve the people and pledged to make Lodhran, Multan and south Punjab exemplary. He made a promise to carry out five times more developmental work in the next five years than before.

The IPP candidate for PP 227, Mehr Muhammad Ashraf Siyal, warned that any retaliatory action against their workers would be met with a strong response. He expressed confidence in achieving historic success from Lodhran city with the support of 13 union councils and urged the public to vote for him on Feb 8.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2024