CHAKWAL: Last September, when former district nazim Sardar Ghulam Abbas, a long time rival of the PML-N, was brought into the party by the leadership despite the reservations of local leaders and workers, many feared that the move would create fissures within the PML-N.

Those fears may now have materialised, with three PML-N parliamentarians fielding independent candidates for the offices of district council chairman and vice chairman. The division has sent alarms bell ringing within the party, as it could impact the next general election if unaddressed.

The PML-N has awarded tickets to Malik Mohammad Tariq Awan and Chaudhry Khurshid Baig for the district council chairman and vice chairman elections on Dec 22. They will run against MNA Tahir Iqbal’s brother Malik Naeem Asghar and Yasir Aziz, independents fielded by PML-N MNAs Mr Iqbal and Sardar Mumtaz Khan Tamman and MPA Zulfiqar Ali Khan.

Although the three aforementioned parliamentarians did their best to open up the election, the party’s top leadership did not pay heed to their demands and stuck to its decision.

The PML-N currently has nine members of parliament from the Chakwal district – three MNAs, five MPAs and a senator. An adviser to the chief minister from the party is also from the district.

Since 1985, the political battle in the district has been fought between the PML-N and the Sardar Ghulam Abbas group. Mr Abbas is an influential political figure, who enjoys the largest voter base in the district and cracked the PML-N stronghold in the last local bodies election by winning 27 out of 74 union council seats – the PML-Q and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf won five each.

The PML-N lost 37 union councils, and the municipalities of Kallar Kahar, Bhoun, Talagang and Lawa.

While it still held enough votes to form the district council government, the party’s top leadership decided to bring Mr Abbas into the fold despite the reservations of local parliamentarians.

When the decision had been made, MPAs Chaudhry Liaquat Ali Khan, Malik Tanveer Aslam Awan, Malik Zahoor Anwar Awan and Mehwish Sultana, MNA Iffat Liaquat and Senator retired Lt Gen Abdul Qayyum accepted the move, while MNAs Tahir Iqbal and Sardar Mumtaz Khan Tamman and MPA Zulfiqar Ali Khan did not.

Since Sardar Ghulam Abbas joined the PML-N, the party’s strength has been at an all-time high. In addition to the union council seats, the PML-N swept the reserved seats elections and secured 84 out of the district council’s 95 seats. However, a tough electoral battle is expected between the two groups following the parliamentarians’ decision to field their own candidates.

Both groups are trying their hardest to win the sympathies of the union council chairmen.

“Although the party’s decision to award tickets was wrong, it should have been accepted by all because the party is supreme,” Syed Ziaul Hassan Zaidi, the former district president of the party, said. “This friction will damage the party in the 2018 general elections if it is not resolved on an urgent basis.”

Mr Iqbal said his group would not withdraw from the election, while Chaudhry Liaquat Ali’s son Chaudhry Haider Sultan said efforts to convince the three parliamentarians to accept the party leadership’s decisions were unsuccessful.

Published in Dawn December 21st, 2016