Islamabad:

Nearly a dozen independent candidates who won Pakistan’s February 8 general election have joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Sama TV reported on Tuesday.

Shamsher Ali Mazari, elected as an independent candidate from NA-189 in Rajanpur, has reportedly announced that he has joined the Nawaz Sharif-led party.

Announcing his decision in a video statement, Mazari said he consulted his colleagues before deciding to extend support to the Muslim League-North.

“For the welfare of the country, I have decided to join the Muslim League-North,” Mazari allegedly said in a video circulating on social media.

In the video, he can be seen talking while traveling in a car.

Pakistani media reported that Mazari received 38,875 votes and the opposition’s Sardar Riaz received 32,000 votes.

Similarly, independent candidates Muhammad Sohail from PP-240 constituency of Punjab Assembly, Khurram Virk from PP-48 constituency and Rana Virk from PP-49 constituency Rana Muhammad Fayyaz also joined the PML-N.

Earlier, on Sunday, PP-94’s independent candidate Taimoor Lali also joined the PML-N. Sardar Khizar Khan Mazari, MPA-elect from Rajanpur PP-297 and PTI-backed independent candidate, also announced his support to the PML-N. Mazari won with 39,206 votes, defeating PML-N’s Sardar Mir Dost Mazari, who polled 30,933 votes.

Fayyaz said he had full confidence in the Muslim League leadership and would hold a meeting with them.

Sardar Zulfiqar from Chiniot was a successful candidate of PP-96 and joined PML-N. He said he took the decision for the welfare and development of the area, Sama TV reported.

Zulfiqar Ali Shah was elected as MPA after defeating Syed Hasan Murtaza of the PPP.

Independent candidate Raja Khurram Nawaz was elected as the MNA from NA-48 on Saturday, while Mian Muhammad Khan Bugti was elected as the MNA from NA-48.

NA-253 also announced that he had joined PML-N.

Meanwhile, the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) have considered the possibility of appointing a prime minister from either party as part of plans to form a new alliance to run the federal government. The helmsmen will serve three-year and two-year terms, Geo News reported on Monday.

Party leaders discussed the possibility of appointing a half-term prime minister at their first meeting on Sunday, the report said.

In 2013, the Balochistan Muslim League (PML-N) and the National Party (NP) worked out the same power-sharing formula, when the two parties’ chief ministerial candidates served half of a five-year term.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)