TOBA TEK SINGH: A Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf member of the Punjab Assembly who joined the Jahangir Tareen camp is no more in the ‘PTI like-minded group’ after Chief Minister Usman Buzdar made him his special coordinator on sports, youth affairs and local government.

Elected from PP-118 (Gojra) as the PML-N like-minded candidate during the last general election, Bilal Asghar Warraich had betrayed the Sharifs and joined the PTI. His brother Khalid Warraich is the PML-N MNA.

Sources said Bilal was not present in the last meeting on Monday last where Tareen announced the formation of his like-minded group of parliamentarians in the National and Punjab assemblies. He was invited by the chief minister to his secretariat two days ago where he was given the office of CM’s special coordinator.Bilal reached Gojra on Thursday to a warm welcome by his constituency supporters. He left motorway at the Painsara interchange from where he was driven to Gojra in a motorcade.

Commenting on his appointment as special coordinator, Asad Zaman Cheema who lost PP-118 to Bilal as a PTI candidate with a narrow margin, said he (Bilal Warraich) was an opportunist who won the election as a PML-N like-minded candidate but wasted no time in joining the ruling party. He said the PML-N had withdrawn its ticket holder Mansoor Ahmad Bhango in his favour.

Cheema said Bilal had got the special coordinator office through blackmail.

Published in Dawn, May 21st, 2021