As political parties continue their efforts to rope in independent candidates to strengthen their positions ahead of the formation of the new government post-February 8 election, four independent candidates who won Punjab Assembly seats, announced joining the Istehkam-e-Pakistan Party (IPP).

Three of the four politicians who joined the IPP's ranks are PTI-affiliated independent candidates namely — Muhammad Tahir from PP-284, Sardar Awais Dreshak from PP-296 and Zahid Ismail Bhutta from PP-270.

Welcoming the development, IPP President Abdul Aleem Khan claimed that a further 10-15 winning candidates would join the party's ranks in the coming days.