28 April 2005	Thursday	18 Rabi-ul-Awwal 1426

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BAHAWALPUR, April 27: Various groups have geared up their political activities with the completion of the demarcation process and subsequent notification by the Punjab government regarding the creation of new city and Sadar councils within Bahawalpur tehsil.

Sources said that prospective contenders for nazims’ slots of city and Sadar councils belonged to the ruling nazim and his opposition groups. Besides, a number of new faces were also making contacts with influential political figures and those of the opponent MNAs to the district nazim.

Over and above, they said that MMA and PML-N stalwarts also became active and started lobbying to capture maximum seats.

A majority of the ruling PML leadership will support the district nazim group, but several PML office-bearers are also out to oppose nominees of the district nazim.

It is learnt that District Nazim Tariq Cheema and his supporters are trying to restore the Bahawalpur Ittehad. From its platform, Tariq Cheema was elected the district nazim in 2001 with the backing of both Punjabi and Seraiki speaking councillors.

Even now, most of prospective aspirants are trying to seek blessings of the ruling group to contest for the city nazim slot. This seat is being considered a key office for local bodies elections in July as the TMA could not resolve problems of the people.

Local leaders during the visit of President Pervez Musharraf in March had also called for creating the city council in Bahawalpur.

Jamaat-i-Islami leaders are also working for capturing the city council nazim’s slot as its MPA and MMA’s deputy parliamentary leader in Punjab assembly Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar has its own constituency, which is the part of Bahawalpur city.

WORKSHOP: A three-day first training workshop for adult literacy teachers concluded here on Wednesday.

The workshop was organized by Islamia University’s Education Department in collaboration with the Higher Education Commission (HEC) and the National Commission for Human Development (NCHD).

The concluding session was addressed by IU vice-chancellor Prof Dr Munir Akhtar, commission’s country director (education) Dr Azhar Khan, general manager (literacy) Iqbalur Rehman, education department chairman Prof Dr Aslam and others.

INAUGURATED: Bahawalpur Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Chaudhry Abdul Sattar inaugurated the workers welfare school for the children of workers here on Wednesday.

Established by the government, the English medium school will have the admission facility to 425 children of workers employed in various industrial concerns.