GUJRANWALA, Aug 25: The issue of nomination for district and town nazims has divided the ruling PML into various factions and each group is trying to get the support of maximum elected councillors to get its demand accepted by the chief minister, it is learnt on Thursday.

Senator Chaudhry Muhammad Anwer Bhinder’s son Naveed Bhinder, nephew of State Minister Shahid Akram Bhinder, is a district nazim hopeful and the minister group is claiming support of 1,000 councillors. On the other hand, Kashmir committee chairman Chaudhry Hamid Nasir Chattha wants the top slot for his son Fiaz Ahmad Chattha for second term. He is claiming that the CM has accorded the approval.

Insiders say the minister group is unhappy over this decision. As a result of which Pervaiz Elahi has convened an important meeting of the minsiter group in Lahore on Friday (today) and urged Senator Anwer Bhinder, Shahid Akram Bhinder, provincial ministers Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal, Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Federal Parliamentary Secretary Bilal Ijaz, MNA Imranullah, MPAs Engineer Ashraf Butt, Dr Sohail Zafar Cheema, Mudassar Qayyum Nahara, Mian Mazhar Javed, Ms Nayyer Murtaza Lone, Ms Zile-i-Huma Usman and Ms Shehala Butt, besides the party leaders to attend the meeting.

According to a report, the CM has nominated brother of minister Rana Shamshad Ahmad Khan, Sajjad Ahmad Khan, for Kamoki town nazim and Rizwan Zafar Cheema, son of the party’s district president Chaudhry Zafarullah Cheema and brother of adviser Dr Sohail Zafar Cheema, for Nandipur town. The provincial transport minister and the party’s district president are reportedly happy over this decision. Candid-ates for Naushera Virkan, Aroop, Khiali Shahpur, Qila Dedar Singh and Wazirabad town nazims will be finalized in the Friday meeting.

Former city nazim Babu Javed Ahmad, ex-deputy mayor Saifuddin Bhatti, the son-in-law of ex-mayor Muhammad Aslam Butt and brother-in-law of MPA Ashraf Butt, and Nasir Cheema, the brother of ex-MPA Muhammad Azam Cheema, are aspirants for Qila Dedar Singh town nazim.

Federal Parliamentary Secretary Chaudhry Bilal Ijaz and MPA Mudassar Qayyum Nahara want to field their nominee for Naushera Virkan town nazim. Provincial Food Minister Chaudhry Muhammad Iqbal’s son Asif Iqbal may contest for Khiali Shahpur town nazim.