SARGODHA, Dec 28: District naib nazim candidate Malik Tasawar Husain Awan, supported by district nazim Sheikh Inamul Haq Piracha, was kidnapped on Tuesday night by six unidentified people.

Despite his kidnap, elections were held and Mr Awan’s rival Master Munir Shahid was declared winner with 28 votes out of 46.

It may be recalled that Bharat group, headed by MPA Dr Mukhtar Bharat, joined the ruling PML during the third phase of local body elections. The group was offered the slot of Bhalwal tehsil nazim. Despite joining the folds of the ruling party, it maintained its rivalry with the Piracha group. The Bharat group had opposed district nazim Inamul Haq Piracha and, during the by-elections to NA-64, they opposed Haroon Ehsan Piracha and supported the opposition candidate.

It is learnt that Bhalwal tehsil nazim Imtiaz Ahmad Bharat fielded Master Munir Shahid while the Piracha group named Tasawar Awan after getting the support of Tariq Aziz Warriach, principal secretary to President Musharraf. Though apparently chief minister and Anwar Ali Cheema announced support to Tasawar Awan, secretly they favoured Bharat group to oust the Piracha group from their native tehsil.

Though Mr Awan was kidnapped, the elections were not postponed. It was the talk of the town that Mr Awan could not be kidnapped without the blessing of the chief minister. It may be noted that the Piracha and Bharat group, despite remaining within the fold of the PML, would not tolerate each other. People questioned that when the Bharat group violated the party’s code of conduct during local body polls and by-elections to NA-64, why they were not served a notice.

Earlier MNA Anwar Cheema was favourite for the coveted slot of district nazim but he was forced by President Gen Pervez Musharraf to surrender in favour of Inamul Haq Piracha on the recommendation of Tariq Aziz Warriach.

Meanwhile, Bhalwal police registered a case against six unidentified kidnappers.

All the PML nominees were elected as tehsil naib nazims. For Sargodha tehsil, PML’s Mehr Ahmed Sher Luk bagged 66 votes while PPP’s Abdul Qadeer 19. In Sahiwal, PML’s Sardar Zaighum Hussain defeated Ghafar Ahmed Majoka by five votes. In Shahpur, Zafar Ibrahim Khan, nominee of MNA Shahzadi Umerzadi Tiwana, won the election by one vote against Syed Shahid Hussain Sherazi.

In Sillanwali, Rai Khuda Dad Bhatti of PML bagged 15 votes while his opponent, Rai Hamid Nawaz Bhatti, bagged eight. In Bhalwal, Master Munir Shahid was the winner while Nisar Asghar was already elected unopposed as Kotmomen naib nazim.