SARGODHA, Aug 28: The Punjab chief minister has still not nominated MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema for the coveted Sargodha district nazim’s slot despite his claim of support from nazims, naib nazims and councillors of over 110 union councils out of the total 161.

Although Mr Cheema is gaining support day by day, the anti-Cheema group within the ruling PML posing problems for the party’s highups to decide the fate of the district nazim slot.

The situation had taken a twist the other day when provincial Colonies Minister Mian Manazir Ali Ranjha announced unconditional support to the Cheema group. Mr Ranjha’s group comprises panels of nazims, naib nazims and councillors in 10 union councils of Kotmomen tehsil.

In his written statement, Mr Ranjha said that MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema was the only leader who could keep the PML united in the district. He further said that he had given up Mr Cheema’s opposition.

Mian Manazir Ali Ranjha had fielded his panels in almost all UCs of a newly-created Kotmomen tehsil jointly with MNA Chaudhry Ghias Ahmad Mela. Although Mr Mela had announced his support to Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema on the very first day, Mr Ranjha avoided supporting him and joined the anti-Cheema group comprising MNA Mian Mazhar Ahmad Qureshi and the Kalyars.

Reportedly, when Mian Mazhar Qureshi warned the PML central leadership that if Mr Cheema was fielded as the district nazim his group would join the PPP’s Piracha group, Mian Manazir Ali Ranjha had to rejoin the Cheema group. He further assured Mr Cheema his unconditional support.

After Mian Manazir’s decision, the Cheema group has emerged as the hot favourite group in the district politics while other groups, including the PPP and the MMA with meagre share of some PML (N)’s nazims and naib nazims, seemed out of the game for the coveted slot. Even none of these groups are now in a position to get tehsil nazim slot in any of the six tehsils in Sargodha district.

However, some political pundits are still optimistic about the dramatic come back of the Piracha group, who is reportedly in the process of dialogues with the central leadership of the ruling PML in Islamabad.