SIALKOT, May 16: The provincial leadership of the ruling party has sought help from the Variyo family for the reunification of the PML in Sialkot. For local politicians, closely associated with Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, reuniting of all the divided groups of the PML has become a test case.

Variyo family’s MPA Chaudhry Khush Akhtar Subhani said he along with Punjab Power Minister Chaudhry Armughan Subhani had met with the Punjab chief minister in Lahore and discussed with him the existing political situation in Sialkot district a few days ago.

He said the provincial leadership had asked the Variyo family to lend a helping hand to the government in shunning the differences among various PML groups in the wake of forthcoming local bodies elections.

Mr Akhtar said the Variyo family had also played a pivotal role in winning over the district nazim’s slot for Mian Naeem Javaid in the LB elections of 2001.

It may be mentioned that Variyo family’s former MNA Chaudhry Akhtar Ali Variyo, former federal minister Chaudhry Abdul Sattar Variyo and MPA Chaudhry Khush Akhtar Subhani are under trial in NAB and other courts.

Meanwhile, some six candidates are presently in the run for the Sialkot district nazim’s slot.

Among them, four candidates belong to the ruling PML — existing District Nazim Mian Naeem Javaid, present District Naib Nazim Chaudhry Arsal Waqar Ghuman, present Tehsil Nazim Muhammad Akmal Cheema and MPA Azeem Noori Ghuman. While the two others are — PPP’s Qamar Abbas Chand, opposition leader in Sialkot district assembly, and independent candidate Chaudhry Abdul Qayyum.

All the four PML candidates are fully confident about their nomination as the candidate for the district nazim slot in the upcoming LB polls.

Sources say that several MPAs and MNAs are also willing to contest for the district nazim slot after resigning from their seats.