November 29, 2006	Wednesday	Ziqa'ad 7, 1427

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GUJRAT, Nov 28: Ruling PML president Chaudhry Shujaat Husain and Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi are in a fix about the choice of the party’s candidate for NA-107, though there is some time in the official nomination process.

And why shouldn’t there be a cause for thought for the provincial higher-ups when they have to choose between their close relative Chaudhry Mubashar Husain, a former MNA, and MNA Rahman Naseer Marala who is supported by none other than President Gen Pervez Musharraf for the slot.

The Maralas have launched a campaign through the local media claiming that the Chaudhrys are likely to announce the MNA as a party candidate for NA-107. However, former MNA Chaudhry Tajammal Husain had asked the PML bigwig to allot the ticket to his son, Mubashar Husain who also started canvassing some two months ago.

Earlier, this constituency was part of NA-82, the native constituency of Syed Manzoor Husain Shah (late) and Haji Asghar Kaira (late). A survey conducted by Dawn reveals that the constituency has been considered to be a stronghold of the PML for decades.

According to the previous results, the constituency had a vote bank of well over 100,000 and the PPP came next to it with 55,000 votes. In the general elections of 2002, a triangular fight — two PML candidates and a PPP hopeful — was witnessed. However, the PPP candidate won the elections thanks to the division in the votes among the ruling party contenders.

The PML had pitched Syed Noorul Hassan Shah while former MPA Malik Hanif Awan had pitched his nephew Malik Ajmal Siddique on a PML-N ticket. The PPP had fielded Rahman Naseer Marala while Col Mujtaba (retired) also contested the elections from another leaguer group. Mr Marala won the election by bagging 52,000 votes while Noor Shah obtained around 48,000.

The people of the constituency still consider Mr Marala as a PPP man for his support to Nadeem Asghar Kaira who contested against PML nominee Noor Shah October 2005 election for the slot of the Kharian tehsil nazim.

In that election, the deal between the Maralas and Kairas came to light when the latter did not pitch their candidate for the slot of tehsil naib-nazim.

PML nominee Irfan Naseer Marala was elected naib nazim unopposed.

Sources said Mr Marala had joined the PML on the condition that he must be given the party ticket in the next elections. Even the president had asked the Chaudhrys to give ticket to Mr Marala. Tajammal Husain had on the other hand informed the Chaudhrys that his son, Mubashar would contest the elections with or without ticket.

Mubashar had launched his election campaign two months ago and some influential old leaguers and elite of the area had held many big functions for him during Ramazan and thereafter. Even Chaudhry Wajahat Husain was seen along with him in functions.

Sources said Mubashar Husain also enjoyed the support of the Kotla Group (PP-115) and had also formed a secret deal with Malik Hanif Awan. They said Malik would support Mubashar and pitch his nephew in PP-114 and not in NA-107. Zia Mohyuddin is likely the PPP nominee from this constituency and he had also started canvassing.

Meanwhile, sources said, some old leaguers had asked Chaudhrys not to visit Kharian to attend the function of Rehman Naseer Marala for fear of deepening rift.