LAHORE - In what could be described his third political somersault, ex-MNA from Lahore, Mian Abdul Waheed, also a former ambassador, announced to join PPP here on Monday ending his years long association with two factions of Pakistan Muslim League-PML-Q and PML-N. He made this announcement at a news conference at Lahore Press Club in the presence of PPP's Lahore President, Asghar Gujjar, finance secretary Punjab Aurangzeb Burki and other party office-bearers. Mian Waheed's joining of PPP is in line with party policy of accepting maximum number of turncoats from other parties, especially from PML. Recently, a group of local leaders from Bahalpur belonging to the two leagues announced to join PPP in Lahore. First cousin of Gen Zia-ul-Haq, Mian Abdul Waheed remained with PML-N for quite some time but as long as this party was in power. Of late, he was associated with PML-Q, a party he joined in 2002, seeing the prospects its coming into power with the blessings of Gen (R) Pervez Musharraf. Once PML-Q was out of power, he thought of leaving it too. Finally, he decided to join PPP, the party in power at the moment. After so many years, it was 'suddenly' revealed on Mian Waheed that PPP was the only political party in the country which represented the poor and raised voice for them. In his address on the occasion, he said PPP was the only party that had always promoted the politics of tolerance and reconciliation, besides working for the rights of downtrodden people. He said this was the reason that he decided to join this party. Giving justification for leaving his parent party, Waheed said he was born in a family of Muslim Leaguers who struggled for an independent homeland for Muslims in the Indian Subcontinent. He said he remained part of PML-N, but left it when he came to realise that it had turned into an ethnic party, having roots only in one province. The former leaguer lauded the political acumen of PPP chief and President Asif Ali Zardari, who, in his opinion, not only saved the country at very crucial time after the assassination of PPP Chairperson Benazir Bhutto, but also formed his party's governments in three provinces and the Centre. He believed that Zardari's slogan of "Pakistan Khapay" foiled conspiracy to divide the country. He assured that PPP would make a clean sweep from Lahore in the next general elections. Replying to a question about his closeness with Zia-ul-Haq who prosecuted PPP founder Z A Bhutto, Mian Waheed just confined himself to saying that 'it is the time to forget about past and resolve differences". He also criticised PML-N leadership on the occasion and accused it of masterminding attack on Supreme Court building in its last tenure. He criticised his former leader Mian Nawaz Sharif for his futile attempt to become Amir ul Momineen by amending the Constitution. He grilled those demanding mid-term polls and asked them to wait for five years and let the democratic system work. It was interesting to listen from Mian Waheed, a person who changed his political affiliation for the third time, that he will remain part of PPP forever irrespective of whether it was in power or not. PPP's Lahore President Chaudhry Asghar Gujjar welcomed the new comer in his party and expressed his optimism that with the joining of Mian Waheed, PPP would be further strengthened.