GUJRAT: An interesting situation emerges in Jhelum as the ruling party has decided to divide the four-year term of the district council chairman between two candidates. Each of them will have a two-year term.

The ‘formula’ will also apply to the seat of vice chairman of the district council. According to the arrangement, the first incumbents will resign upon completion of two years allowing the next two nominees to be in the saddle for the remaining two years.

Senior party leaders are said to have taken such a decision to accommodate both MNAs Nawabzada Raja Matloob Mehdi and Chaudhry Khadim Hussain Garmala.

Sources said first two-year term would be given to MNA Mehdi’s nominee Raja Qasim Ali Khan, an elected chairman from Pananwal UC, whereas Dr Bashir, a nominee of MNA Garmala, would serve as vice chairman of the district. Similarly, MNA Garmala’s nominee Raja Ahmad Hussain Shoukat would be the ruling party nominee for the top slot of Jehlum district council and MNA Mehdi’s nominee Chaudhry Muzaffar Hussain would serve as vice chairman in the second term.

‘Arrangement is meant to avoid fissure’

A PML-N leader in Jhelum told Dawn that the leadership had taken the decision of dividing the four-year term to avoid any kind of rift.

In Mandi Bahauddin district, the PML-N has awarded the party ticket for the slot of district council chairman to Ghulam Hussain Bosaal, a cousin of MNA Nasir Iqbal Bosaal. Mr Bosaal had been elected chairman from the Bosaal union council (Malikwal tehsil) as an independent candidate but his group has majority in the district council and family members have affiliation with the ruling party.

Also in the run for seeking the PML-N ticket was Zahid Faraz Tarar, an elected UC chairman, whose uncle MNA Mumtaz Tarar had been lobbying for him. Senior party leaders preferred Mr Bosaal who had previously served as Malikwal tehsil nazim from 2005 to 2009 as a PML-Q nominee.

The PML-N has also decided to nominate Najamul Hasan Naqvi, chairman Nuna Sayeedan UC, and Mirza Zubair Baig, chairman Rasool UC, as its candidates for the two slots of vice chairmen.

Published in Dawn, December 9th, 2016