RAWALPINDI: On the first political appearance of Maryam Nawaz in Rawalpindi, a bastion of the PML-N, the ruling party’s local chapter remained a divided house.

Senator Chaudhry Tanveer Khan, his son Daniyal Aziz as well as nephew MPA Sarfraz Afzal did not attend the social media convention. The show was limited to Mayor Sardar Naseem, Hanif Abbasi, Malik Shakil Awan, MNA Malik Abrar, MPA Raja Hanif Advocate and others.

Minister for Information Maryam Aurangzeb, her mother MNA Tahira Aurangzeb and her aunt Senator Najma Hameed were also present.

Chairmen of union councils falling in Chaudhry Nisar’s constituency did not bring any rally to the venue

However, chairmen of union councils falling in the constituency of former interior minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan did not bring any rally to the convention.

MPA Tehseen Fawad arrived in the public meeting but was not allowed on the stage.

“She belonged to Chaudhry Tanveer Group so her name was not included in the list of leaders who shared the stage with Maryam Nawaz,” said a senior party leader.

He said basically MPA Tehseen Fawad belonged to the Tanveer group and the arrangements for the convention were made by the other group.

He said division in the party was increasing with each passing day.

When contacted, MPA Tehseen Fawad admitted that she was not allowed in the stage by the organisers. “Nawaz Sharif is my leader and I will not stop going to the functions of Maryam and Nawaz Sharif,” she said.

She said Chaudhry Tanveer and Chaudhry Nisar were the leaders who run the party in the Potohar region and she supported them.

Another PML-N leader said more than eight union council chairmen did not attend the function claiming that they could not get any response from their leader Chaudhry Nisar.

He said there were two groups in Rawalpindi chapter of the PML-N each led by Mr Tanveer, Mr Sardar Naseem and Mr Abbasi.

“They are struggling to get party tickets for their groups in two constituencies of the city as they will not be able to enter the constituency of Chaudhry Nisar.”

He said Chaudhry Tanveer had arranged a social media convention at his residence on March 9 and Sardar Naseem, Hanif Abbasi and Malik Shakil Awan did not attend that convention.

When contacted, PML-N city secretary general Haji Pervaiz said some senior party leaders did not participate in the meeting when they should have avoided differences.

He said the social media convention was an excellent show and people participated in it in large numbers and expressed their confidence in the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. He said differences among the leaders were a part of democracy.

Some key leaders of the PML-N failed to bring big rallies and arrived with a very small number of people.

They included Senator Begum Najma Hameed, MPA Zaibunnisa Awan, MPA Tehsin Fawad and former MNA Malik Shakil Ahmed Awan.

Shakil Awan entered the venue along with three supporters and MPA Awan could bring a few more people.

Nonetheless, Hanif Abbasi, MPA Raja Hanif, Mayor Sardar Nasim, Sardar Mumtaz Khan, MNA Malik Abrar Ahmed, MPA Malik Iftikhar Ahmed, ex-MPAs Chaudhry Ayaz and Chaudhry Riaz, student leader Maqbool Ahmed Khan and Chaudhry Fakhar led big rallies to the convention.

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2018