HARIPUR: The sudden move of Qaumi Watan Party’s Haripur MPA Gohar Nawaz Khan and his sister to join the PML-N has created a win-win situation for both the lawmaker’s influential political family and Nawaz Sharif’s party, insist observers.

Mr Gohar, the younger brother of a former MMA minister, was elected from PK-51, Haripur-III, in the 2013 elections as an independent candidate.

He later joined Aftab Sherpao’s QWP and was a strong candidate for cabinet slot when his party joined the PTI’s government.

However, his political credentials became dubious when his party served a show cause notice on him for allegedly selling vote during the March 2015 Senate elections.

Observers say both will face many political tests in future

Mr Gohar however denied the charge claiming that he had voted for the QWP candidate and that he could never think about betraying his party and electorates.

His family known as Akhtar Nawaz family of Khalabat Township that has been reaping the benefits of political work that late Akhtar Nawaz has done from 1988 to 2010, managed to steal the show when Babar Nawaz, son of late Akhtar Nawaz and paternal nephew of MPA Gohar Nawaz, won with a thumping majority on PML-N ticket during the August 2015 by-elections on NA-19, once a stronghold of Ayub family.

He defeated PTI’s Dr Raja Amer Zaman. Although his claim was strongly contested by former MNA Omar Ayub Khan, who says that it was he who actually approved funds for Haripur, the young Nawaz, succeeded in bringing development projects for Haripur to the tune of billions and became favorite of senior party leadership for party’s nominee for next election which ultimately distanced Ayub family from the PMLN.

According to insiders, the scions of Nawaz family of Khalabat Township, who have learnt the art of playing timely shots, managed to convince former PM Mian Nawaz Sharif to address a public meeting in Haripur as part of his movement against his disqualification which he consented.

Since that public meeting which luckily drew a large gathering from across Hazara, young MNA earned kudos from MNS. Political sagacity helped this family further winning the heart of senior party leadership when the ECP announced the schedule for Senate elections and the PMLN was short of a single vote for electing one Senator from KP assembly.

PML-N has 16 seats while it requires 17 for a seat of senator. Sources said that both sides negotiated secretly and sensing the urgency of situation and importance of a single vote Nawaz family bargained on a senate’s seat against the vote of sitting QWP’s MPA Gohar Nawaz.

The deal brokered with the help of PML-N’s provincial leader Amir Muqam and Capt Safdar which was formally announced on Thursday that Gohar Nawaz and his elder sister Raeesa Daud have formally joined PMLN and the later was given ticket for senate.

Ms Raeesa Daud was a new entry in the politics from the Nawaz family. She had earlier helped her brothers and nephew MNA Babar Nawaz in political convincing in their constituencies, but has never contested election in the past. She also authored a biography for her brother late Akhtar Nawaz Khan.

Former speaker provincial assembly Habibullah Khan believes that joining PML-N by Gohar Nawaz and his sister would strengthen the party’s base in the area. He termed the decision as wise and timely adding that entry of Gohar Nawaz and his sister would help PML-N sweeping the next election from all the constituencies as the Nawaz family has a strong vote bank in the area.

Observers believe that although both Nawaz family of Khalabat and PMLN are appeared to be in win-win situation, the future has more tests in store both for PML-N and Nawaz family.

In the wake of cutting one provincial assembly seat, as speculations go, and that too of Gohar Nawaz’s PK 51, during ongoing delimitation and annexing the some of his union councils to PK 52 Haripur IV, the stronghold of Pir Sabir Shah and PTI’s Faisal Zaman, would expose the PML-N to a difficult situation.

Observers think that Pir Sabir Shah, who have agreed to become the party’s senator, would certainly demand ticket for his paternal nephews either for Sahibzada Qasim Shah or Sahibzada Hamid Shah and the party would obviously prefer a long-time associate over a new entrant to disintegration, which will benefit the PTI or some independent candidate both in the elections for both local national and provincial assembly seats.

Published in Dawn, February 12th, 2018