OKARA, April 17: The visit of Prime Minister Mir Zafarullah Khan Jamali to the district on Wednesday divided local politicians into two groups as some of them including district Nazim Syed Sajjad Haider were said to be ignored altogether.

Sources said an MNA called on the prime minister at the Okara rest house and actually complained that he was being ignored. He invited the prime minister for another visit to Okara.

One of the groups includes defence minister Rao Sikandar Iqbal, former provincial minister Syed Afzal Ali Shah Gilani and his son provincial housing minister Syed Raza Ali Gilani, MNAs Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan and Syed Gulzar Sibtain and MPAs Deewan Akhlaq Ahmad and Malik Nazar Farid Khokhar.

The other comprises former Punjab chief minister Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, district Nazim Syed Sajjad Haider, Deepalpur tehsil Nazim Khurram Jehangir Wattoo, MNAs Robina Shaheen Wattoo and Rai Mohammad Aslam Khar and MPAs Mian Mohammad Asghar, Rai Farooq Omar and Mian Iftikhar Chachar.

The Wednesday show was stolen by the Rao brothers, who got tens of millions of rupees sanctioned for both Deepalpur and Okara besides a number of specific development projects like supply of Sui Gas to various places.

The district Nazim was not given the chance to make a speech at any of the public gatherings during the visit. The Deepalpur Nazim and MNA Robina were not even invited to any of the public meetings. PML(Q) district president Rao Qaiser Ali Khan who had lost the race to the National Assembly also remained out of the scene whereas his opponent Rao Ajmal Khan was the host at Mazharabad.

NA-143 MNA Rai Mohammad Kharal “forcibly” entered the Okara rest house where the prime minister was staying, and complained that he was being ignored. According to him, the prime minister had accepted his invitation for another visit to Okara.

It is pertinent to mention here that the visit schedule had earlier included tea at the residence of Mian Manzoor Wattoo (Haveli Lakkha) in Deepalpur, but the function was cancelled “at the behest of the defence minister”.

This grouping in district politics may lead to a no-confidence move against both the district Nazim and the Deepalpur Nazim.