RAWALPINDI: Grouping within the ruling party at the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB) took a new turn as the elected members have ganged up against the board’s vice president seeking his replacement.

In April 2015 cantonment board elections, the ruling PML-N managed to won all the 10 wards of the cantonment board and managed to elect its vice president.

However, the members divided in two groups after a year, one group being patronised by PML-N MNA Malik Abrar while the other by the board’s vice-president Raja Jehandad Khan. Anti-vice president group claimed enjoying more than five members support.

A senior party leader told Dawn that after getting absolute majority in the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), the party leadership did not consult any member while nominating vice president and this started the division within the party.

“PML-N MNA Malik Abrar wanted to bring his own brother-in-law on the seat of vice-president but the party gave its decision in favour of Raja Jehandad Khan,” he said.

However, he said that both the groups did not settle the issues between them. “In the absence of funds, they have been sitting idle for the last one year,” he said, adding had they been involved in development activities in their respective areas they would not have ganged up against the vice-president.

“A few days ago, the vice president managed to change the enforcement cell in-charge of the RCB after prevailing on the RCB Cantonment Executive Officer Dr. Saima Shah, but rival group did not accept the appointment and demanded his replacement. But officials as well as vice president refused to listen to their arguments,” he said.

This led to exchange of hot words between Vice-President Raja Jehandad and his rival group members. He said that after this, the members started raising their voice against the vice-president.

Replying to a question, he said he was not sure whether the rival group would table a no trust move. If they go for it, they would need permission of the ruling party, he added.

He said the party was not in mood to engage the elected members in such activities and provide an opportunity to the opposition parties to capitalize on the situation. He said only the PML-N provincial chief Shahbaz Sharif, who was in London, could settle the differences within the party.

When contacted, RCB Vice President Raja Jehandad Khan admitted that the members backed by MNA Malik Abrar had threatened to bring no trust move against him.

“Malik Abrar is more interested in civic bodies’ matters instead of taking part in National Assembly’s activities. He should bring grants from federal government for the development of the cantonment areas,” he said.

He said the party members should solve the problems of the people of their respective wards instead of wasting their energies on unnecessary issues.

When approached MNA Malik Abrar told Dawn that he had nothing to do with the politics at civic body level. “I ran the election campaign for cantonment board election and tried to bring better members in each ward and after the elections, I paid attention to the problems of the people residing in my constituency,” he said.

He said the members were against the vice president but he should avoid talking such issues in public and solved them within the party. “I had settled the issues between members and vice president a few days ago. But such issues erupted again between them. All the party members would accept the party decision if it brought to the notice of the party leadership,” he said.

Published in Dawn, June 9th, 2016