GUJRAT: There will be an interesting contest between two close kin -- PML-Q leader Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and ex-MNA Chaudhry Mubashar Hussain (PML-N) -- in NA-69 Gujrat city-Kunjah.

Pervaiz Elahi is a joint candidate of the PML-Q and the PTI since the latter has not fielded any candidate against him according to the seat-adjustment commitment.

The PPP has fielded Wazirunnisa Chaudhry, who is a lawyer by profession, and the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) Raja Salamat Zaman.

The long-standing issue of poor drainage and sewerage system of the city as well as the dilapidated roads has been the main problems which the voters have highlighted during their conversations with the candidates.

The PML-Q government had spent Rs700 million on revamp of the drainage and sewerage system in 2006-07 but it could not work well. During its 10-year tenure in the Punjab government, the PML-N did not pay heed towards resolving these issues of the city as well as rural areas falling under NA-69.

Mubashar Hussain is a son of the late Chaudhry Tajamal Hussain (former MNA) who was the first cousin of Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain and Pervaiz Elahi. Mubashar had joined the PML-N in 2008 but then he left it in 2011 to join the PTI the party which did not give him ticket in 2013. He returned to the PML-N and is contesting on its platform.

Several attempts made by common family friends during the past few months for the political reconciliation did not prove fruitful.

Pervaiz Elahi and Mubashar Hussain had contested against each other in 2013 when Mr Elahi won by securing 78,017 votes against Mr Hussain’s 64,652 votes. PTI’s Afzal Gondal stood third by taking 39,931 votes.

This constituency has always been one of the important seats of national politics as the Chaudhrys of the PML-Q and PPP’s Pagganwala family as well as Ahmed Mukhtar are the traditional rivals. Now the dynamics of local politics of this constituency seem to have changed after the PPP coalition government with the PML-Q in 2011.

For instance the Nawabzada family of the PPP switched to the PML-N and Ahmed Mukhtar’s elder brother Chaudhry Ahmed Saeed joined the PML-N whereas some other local groups also left the PPP and these desertions resulted in defeat of Mr Mukhtar. Ghazanfar Gull who was not awarded the PPP ticket in 2013 due to party’s seat adjustment with the PML-Q is now the PML-N candidate for NA-68.

Published in Dawn, July 12th, 2018