RAWALPINDI: After completing the process to fill the reserved seats and having an absolute majority in the local government, the PML-N has failed to finalise its candidates for the city mayor and the district council chairman.

The election of the mayor, deputy mayors, district council chairman and vice chairmen is likely to be held soon after the members on the reserved seats take oath on December 3.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that there were three candidates for the mayorship of Rawalpindi: Sardar Naseem, Arsalan Hafeez and Sajjad Khan. But the final decision would be taken by the party central leadership.

Elections for the two slots are likely to be held soon after members on reserved seats take oath

However, he said, no local leaders had been interviewed by the PML-N for the top slot of the district council as there were differences among party leaders belonging to Gujar Khan and Kahuta.

“Former City District Nazim and MNA Raja Javed Ikhlas’ group wants to bring a member from Gujar Khan for the top slot of the district council but the other group is backing members from Kahuta and trying to convince PML-N chairman Raja Zafarul Haq to support them. The supporters of Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan also want to nominate one of their members for the district council chairman.”

He said at present there were more than six candidates but they were not lobbying openly compared to the Rawalpindi Municipal Corporation (RMC) where three candidates were on the front and lobbying for the post of mayor.

He said fearing grouping within the party at the tehsil level, the party had decided not to announce the names for the top slots until a few days before the polling day.

He said the Gujar Khan tehsil chapter of the PML-N was claiming that it had won 30 union councils which was more than other tehsil chapters wanting the district top slot.

He said after getting a majority in the district council and the municipal corporation, the ruling party had been in a difficult situation in choosing the candidates.

PML-N former MNA Malik Shakil Awan told Dawn that the party was preparing a list of candidates for the district council chairmen across the province and would announce the names a few days before the polling day.

He said the opposition PPP and PTI did not get enough seats in the district council and the municipal corporation to contest the elections for the two posts so the ruling party was not in a hurry to announce its candidates. As soon as the party would announce the names, both the houses will endorse the decision without any delay, he added.

However, PML-N Rawalpindi general secretary and former MNA Haji Pervaiz said the party was waiting for the return of Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan from abroad to announce the names of the mayor and the district council chairman.

“Chaudhry Nisar will select the candidates for the top slots and the local leaders would not have any objection over his decision,” he added.

Published in Dawn, November 28th, 2016