TOBA TEK SINGH, May 21: Differences in the ranks of the ruling PML have not dissipated even after both groups’ meeting with President Gen Pervez Musharraf which was held the other day in Islamabad.

District Nazim Chaudhry Abdul Sattar and former district head Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq attended the meeting during which the president stressed the need for unity in the PML and cooperation between the district government and parliamentarians. Though the three MNAs belonging to the district were invited to the meeting, only Chaudhry Amjad Warraich from Gojra showed up.

MNAs Riaz Fatyana (Kamalia) and Farhan Latif (Toba Tek Singh) are on foreign visits these days. The latter was, however, represented by his father Mian Muhammad Latif, a leading industrialist.

A source disclosed that Mian Latif and his brother — former district nazim Chaudhry Ashfaq — complained at the meeting that although Farhan Latif was the sitting MNA from Toba Tek Singh, nazim Chaudhry Abdul Sattar had recently announced his son Mian Farrukh Sattar as the future candidate for the office.

He also said earlier the ticket for the district nazim slot was ‘snatched’ from his brother Ashfaq and was awarded to the incumbent nazim. At this, Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi informed the president that a majority of the parliamentarians in the district were at that time opposing Chaudhry Ashfaq, so it was decided to award ticket to Chaudhry Sattar, who is an old Muslim Leaguer.

Meanwhile, Chaudhry Ashfaq is overtly opposing the candidature of Mian Farrukh Sattar as he claims that the people of the area will not accept an ‘imported’ candidate. Farrukh is a resident of Lahore.

On the other hand, Chaudhry Abdul Sattar had recently held a meeting with union council nazims and said Chaudhry Ashfaq should give up conspiracy against him, as he had been directed by President Musharraf to cooperate with the district government.

He said the Ashfaq group, before proceeding for Islamabad, was spreading rumours that the government would force him (Sattar) to resign from the office and he (Ashfaq) would be re-elected district nazim.

He announced that his son had been fielded as a candidate for MNA slot in consultation with the party high command and, therefore, Chaudhry Ashfaq had no reason to protest.