BAHAWALPUR, Aug 31: Uncertainty prevailed in the nomination of potential candidates in both the rival groups of the ruling PML — the Bahawalpur Ittehad and the Sadiq Dost for top slots despite tall claims of attaining majority by both groups in the Aug 18 elections.

The Bahawalpur Ittehad could have announced its potential candidates at their meeting held the other day at the Gardezi house to prove their strength of union council nazims and naib nazims. But Ittehad chief and MNA Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi had told a questioner that nominations for top slots would be made within two or three days.

It was learnt that the Bahawalpur Ittehad had almost finalized its candidates’ names for the slots of tehsil nazims of Ahmedpur East, Hasilpur, Khairpur Tamewali and Yazman, but was avoiding their formal announcement owing to objections raised by some of their activists.

However, in Bahawalpur city, the Ittehad was unable to agree on a unanimous potential candidate due to strife within the group. So far, PML central media coordinator Syed Tabish Alwari has emerged as a strong contender for this slot. While Malik Habibullah Bhutta and Syed Abdul Mueed Shah are also in the run.

Similarly, there is a pressure on Bahawalpur Ittehad leaders for the candidature of Bahawalpur Sadar slot, where Chaudhry Hameed of Der Bakha could be a strong contender.

Former MPA Syed Salman Gardezi, nephew of MNA Syed Tasneem Nawaz Gardezi, could possibly be a new face for the slot of Khairpur Tamewali tehsil nazim, where Ittehad’s Gardezi panel claimed to have clinched seven union council seats out of the total eight, and defeated MNA Mian Riaz Husain Peerzada’s son Ali Kazim, brother Sajjad Husain Peerzada and brother of his group MPA Latif Aaqil.

It is further learnt that the Bahawalpur Ittehad had in principle decided to field its former tehsil nazims — Syed Sajjad Husain Bokhari, Makhdum Samiul Hasan Gilani and Chaudhry Abdul Jabbar for three tehsils of Hasilpur, Ahmedpur East and Yazman, respectively.

While the Sadiq Dost group have not so far shown their cards as they also claim to have won most of UC nazims and naib nazims’ seats. The group comprising three MNAs and two MPAs of the PML have not so far named its potential candidate even for the district nazim slot. In Yazman, Chaudhry Javed, who defeated Tariq Cheema’s confidant Haider Ali from Yazman city, could be the potential candidate for the tehsil nazim slot to face Chaudhry Abdul Jabbar of the Bahawalpur Ittehad.

The Sadiq Dost group may field Jamil Jauhar to contest the tehsil nazim slot in Hasilpur, while in Ahmedpur East tehsil, Sahibzada Umar Daud Abbasi, younger brother of Sahibzada Usman Abbasi, could be nominated for the tehsil nazim slot.

MNA Farooq Azam Malik is also examining the possibility of fielding his son for the city nazim slot.

Bahawalpur Ittehad leaders seem to be under pressure of the Warren family to nominate former MPA Malik Qadir Baksh Warren for the slot of Ahmedpur East tehsil nazim.

The Warren family bagged three seats of nazims and naib nazims unopposed in three UCs of Ahmedpur tehsil. Besides, the family has in its fold stalwarts like MNA Malik Aamir Yar Warren (federal parliamentary secretary) and Malik Khalid Mahmood Warren, the adviser to the Punjab chief minister.