RAWALPINDI: Despite having an absolute majority in the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), the PML-N could not finalise the name of a vice-president due to internal differences.

On June 27, 11 elected members of the PML-N removed the RCB vice-president belonging to their own party through a no-trust move. However, so far the party has failed to bring in a candidate to fill the post.

In April 2015, the PML-N swept the cantonment elections but after a year differences emerged among the members and instead of working for the betterment of the civilian population they remained busy in power struggle to get contracts of different projects.

After the removal of Raja Jahandad Khan as the vice-president, the party members have been trying to get the post for themselves. PML-N MNA Malik Abrar played a key role in bringing the no-trust move against Mr Khan.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that four RCB members were interested in the post. They are: Haji Zafar Iqbal, Hafiz Hussain Ahmed, Rasheed Khan and Malik Munir.

After removal of Raja Jahandad Khan through a no-trust move, ruling party unable to fill post due to internal differences

However, he said the party workers were apprehensive about Haji Zafar Iqbal and Hafiz Hussain Ahmed as Mr Iqbal joined the ruling party after quitting the PML-Q and Mr Ahmed was in Jamaat-i-Islami before he joined the PML-N during the 2013 general elections.

“Malik Munir is a brother-in-law of MNA Malik Abrar and MPA Malik Iftikhar and if he is nominated as the vice-president all the main public offices in the cantonment areas would go to Malik Abrar and Malik Iftikhar’s family. The members are against this move as Malik Munir became member of the board on a seat reserved for peasants.”

He said Rasheed Khan and others were not smart enough to handle things in the civic body. The party is facing a crisis in choosing a suitable candidate, he added.

Another senior party leader told Dawn that the final decision would be taken by MNA Malik Abrar and Senator Chaudhry Tanveer, who served the cantonment as the vice-president in 1999.

He said due to the internal differences in the party, the elected members did not pay any attention to the development projects. He said the party had promised to arrange a piece of land for a graveyard, establish a hospital and improve the water supply system in the cantonment areas. But due to the differences among the party members, these projects could not be taken up.

When contacted, MNA Malik Abrar said the party was yet to decide about the name of the vice-president as it was looking for a suitable candidate who can serve the people.

He rejected allegations that he was trying to bring his own man. “We are working for the betterment of the residents of the cantonment areas and the party will choose a right man for this job.”

He said the party did not want to change the former vice-president at least for two years but his behaviour forced the members to remove him.

“The election for the new vice-president should be held within 60 days but we will make a decision soon.” He said the PML-N did not want to waste time so that development work could be started in the wards as soon as possible.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2016