SARGODHA, Sept 2: The ruling clique is still silent about the candidature of six tehsils and the district coveted slot as well, though MNA Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema and his allies are making efforts to get the blessings of provincial and central leadership.

PPP MNA Tasneem Qureshi, claiming majority of up to 14 out of 22 urban union councils, announced on Friday that their unanimous candidate was Mirza Mohammad Ilyas, former tehsil naib nazim. They also showed their strength by hosting a luncheon in the honour of nazims, naib nazims and councillors of some 24 union councils.

It is to be mentioned here that PPP’s divisional coordinator Malik Azizul Haq had opposed this nomination, saying that the party would not go for him.

When contacted, Mr Qureshi said he along with Mirza Ilyas had injected a new life into the PPP in urban areas, and the party high command had appreciated their efforts. “Azizul Haq’s comments carries no weight,” he said.

He claimed that Mirza Ilyas would win the battle with a clear-cut majority. He also blamed Mr Haq for supporting the PML-Q as he was a business partner of Anwar Cheema.

On the other hand, Azizul Haq alleged that Mr Qureshi was working against the party’s interest, and claimed that he (Qureshi) would join the ruling clique.

It was astonishing for the political analysts that PPP stalwarts — former minister of state for finance Ehsanul Haq Piracha and ex-Senator Mehr Khuda Dad Luk — were silent about the third phase of the local elections. Close circles of Mr Piracha said he would announce his programme in a couple of days.

Meanwhile, the Jamaat-i-Islami, which has won five seats of nazim and naib nazim in the district, has announced Malik Mahmoodul Hasan Awan a candidate for district nazim and ex-MNA Chaudhry Javed Iqbal Cheema for tehsil nazim.

It will be not out of place to mention here that Mr Awan had lost the recent election of nazim in his union council and failed to retain his nazimship for the second term. He lost the elections against PML-Q nominee. One thing is astonishing that UC nazims and councillors are frequently attending lunches and dinners being hosted by various aspirants for tehsil and district nazims. — Correspondent