GUJRANWALA: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz high command has swung a surprise by announcing party nominees for the Gujranwala municipal corporation, district council and municipal committees top slots.

Federal minister Engineer Khurram Dasatghir Khan and his father Ghulam Dasatgir Khan had fielded Sheikh Sarwat Ikram, former president of the Gujranwala Chamber of Commerce and Industry, for the mayor’s slot.

Their rival camp led by State Minister Barrister Usman Ibrahim and MPA Imran Khalid Butt had pitted their brothers Aslam Ibrahim Ansari and Salman Khalid Butt alias Pomi Butt.

The party leadership had called the leaders of the two camps to Lahore two days ago to convince them to field a joint nominee but failed. The matter was referred to the party high command in Islamabad which nominated Poomi Butt for mayor’s office and Sheikh Sarwat Ikram and Hamza Butt for deputy mayors’ slots.

Similarly Mazher Qayyum Nahara, brother of former MNA Mudasar Qayyum Nahara, was picked for the district council chairman contest while Wazirabad bar president Advocate Ijaz Proya and former MNA Rana Nazir Ahmad Khan’s son Rana Amir Nazir Khan were nominated for vice chairmen seats.

The party leadership also announced Shoaib Idris for the Wazirabad municipal committee chairman slot, Rana Sajjad Ahmad, brother of former MPA Rana Shamshad Ahmad, for Kamoki, Meer Zafer Bashir, son of former chairman Meer Bashir, for Ghakkhar Mandi, Riaz Dar for Alipur Chattha and Yaqoob Behlolia for Qila Dedar Singh.

Sources said MNA Justice (retired) Iftikhar Ahmad Cheema and former MPA Mian Mazher Javed who had initially fielded Imtiaz Bagari for the district council chairmanship, backed Mazher Qayyum Nahara in the end due to strong opposition from MPAs Shauket Manzoor, Akmal Saif Chattha and Ashraf Warriach.

Published in Dawn December 8th, 2016