*LAHORE: Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz general secretary Tahir Bashir Cheemahas said that 40 lawmakers from the PML-N are ready to join his newlylaunched political front in the coming days.*
“We are in contact with 35 to 40 people and of those, 20 are MNAs and therest are MPAs. By the Grace of God, many are ready to join our platform,”Mr Cheema said.
“It’s by no means a political party. This is Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahazwhich means a struggle for rights,” he said.
To a question, Mr Cheema ruled out any contacts with the establishment.“The establishment has made no contact with us and nor do we have anyintention to do so.”
“Whoever we decide to go with will be based on a single point. And we willnot accept any lollipop. We will pull out of the alliance after a year orso if our demands are not met,” he said.
The JPSM said that he had met former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif only oncein the last five years.
“I had only one meeting with Nawaz Sharif. He doesn’t have time for us. Youmay call it arrogance. You may say he has little importance to publicrepresentatives.”
The JPSM was formed by eight PML-N’s lawmakers who quit the party andannounced plans to launch a movement for a separate South Punjab province.