|
|
|
| September 5, 2005 | Monday | Rajab 30, 1426 |
Another setback for opposition
LAHORE, Sept 4: The PPP of Benazir Bhutto was dealt a blow on Sunday when the party’s central finance secretary Ahsanul Piracha, along with other members of his group, met Punjab Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and reportedly won support for his candidate for Sargodha district nazim.
Ruling PML MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali is a candidate for the slot. However, after the Piracha group’s meeting with the chief minister, situation in Sargodha has changed.
The meeting has been very positive. The possibility of the change of candidate for the district nazim is there, sources close to the chief minister said.
On the other hand, Anwar Ali Cheema is determined to contest the election. It is said that the chief minister may meet the Cheema group during the next few days to explain why the change was needed.
Piracha group’s potential candidates for the coveted slot are Ahsan’s brother MNA Inamul Haq Piracha and son Haroon Ahsan Piracha.
Meanwhile, at a meeting also attended by PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Information Minister Sheikh Rashid, the chief minister announced the names of candidates for nazim and naib nazim offices of different districts.
For Faisalabad, the ruling party put its weight behind Col Ghulam Rasul Sahi (retired) and Amjad Yasin for district nazim and naib nazim, respectively. Earlier, the PML had named MNA Asim Nazir, brother of former district nazim Zahid Nazir, as its candidate for district nazim.
A surprise package for Faisalabad, Ghulam Rasul Sahi is the brother of Punjab Assembly speaker Afzal Sahi and Maj-Gen Akram Sahi. Opposition has been saying that it is for the Sahis that the Punjab government created Chak Jhumra Town, the smallest in Faisalabad with 15 union councils only.
His deputy Amjad Yasin is the husband of federal parliamentary secretary Riffat Amjad.
The rejection of Nazirs is a major change in Faisalabad as the family ruled the district for the last over a decade — courtesy Ch Nazir who established transport business and entered politics. This is the second blow for the Nazirs at the hands of the ruling PML which earlier ditched former Toba district nazim Ch Ishfaq, a close relative of Asim and Zahid For Faisalabad towns, the chief minister announced the names of Ch Ali Akhtar Khan and Ahmad Raza Bhali for Madina Town, Sajad Haidar Cheema and Raja Manan Ahmad for Iqbal Town, Ch Shah Nawaz and Ch Nabil Mumtaz for Sumandri Town and Ch Munir Khan and Bari for Jaranwala.
RAWALPINDI: Raja Javid Ikhlas is PML-supported candidate for district nazim.
The meeting also announced Rashid Shafiq, Raja Hamid Nawaz, Muhammad Azeem and Tariq Murtaza as candidates for tehsil nazims of Rawal, Pothohar, Gujjar Khan and Kahuta towns, respectively.
SIALKOT: Muhammad Akmal Cheema, brother of Punjab Industries Minister Ajmal Cheema, is the PML-backed candidate for district nazim. While Aamir Amir Hussain, son of NA speaker Amir Hussain, Rana Ijaz Ahmad, Ijaz Ahmad Cheema and Nasir Ghuman are tehsil nazim candidates for Sialkot, Pasroor, Daska and Sumbrial, respectively.
For Kasur, PML-N MPA Ghulam Sabir Ansari is the candidate for naib nazim.
The chief minister again clarified that Humair Hayat Khan Rokhri was the PML-backed candidate for Mianwali district nazim. However, Law and parliamentary affairs minister Sher Afgan Khan told a news conference in Mianwali on Sunday that President Musharraf had rejected Rokhri’s nomination.
|
|
|
|
