18 January 2005	Tuesday	07 Zilhaj 1425

SIALKOT, Jan 17: Differences among the ruling party's local politicians have divided the PML into two groups before the forthcoming local bodies elections.

Leaders of both the divided groups are publicly criticizing and blaming each other for the division of PML in the Sialkot district.

The one group comprises National Assembly Speaker Chaudhry Ameer Hussain, District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid, Sialkot district's PML president Syed Amjad Naeem Shah and other local political stalwarts. This group also claims enjoying the support of the Variyo family.

While the second group consists of Punjab Industries and Investment Minister Muhammad Ajmal Cheema and his younger brother Muhammad Akmal Cheema, who also holds the Sialkot Tehsil Nazim's office.

This group also claims to have the backing of the Variyo family, State Minister for Privatization and Investment Umer Ahmad Ghuman, federal parliamentary secretary for cabinet division Dr Firdous Ashiq Awan, State Minister for Information Technology and Telecommunication Ali Asjad Malhi, State Minister for Defence Zahid Hamid, Punjab Labour Minister Syed Akhtar Hussain Rizvi and Punjab Public Accounts Committee Chairman Azeem Noori Ghuman.

However, the Variyo family is still maintaining the policy of keeping a silence. As the local bodies elections are fast approaching, the differences between these two groups have mounted over various political, social welfare and development project issues.

Leaders of both the groups are addressing big public gatherings in urban and rural areas of the Sialkot district in which they describe themselves as true servants of the people and paint their rivals as incompetent to deliver the goods.

In one such public meeting, Tehsil Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema and his brother said that district governments were about to complete their three-year tenure, but District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid was still busy in creating hurdles in the district's various uplift schemes.

He alleged that the District Nazim had not released any funds to the tehsil council for the development schemes during the last three years. They also alleged that the District Nazim was promoting the politics of favouritism as he was giving contracts of development works to his favourite contractors.

The District Nazim also rejected all the development schemes recommended by the tehsil council, they further blamed. When contacted, District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid denied all the allegations levelled against him by his opponents.

He also criticized the tehsil council's alleged poor performance with regard to the solution of public problems. He said the development funds were also being provided to the tehsil councils in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur without any discrimination.