OKARA, Sept 7: Many known politicians from the district’s three tehsils have joined hands under the leadership of former Punjab chief minister and Tamir-i-Watan group head Manzoor Ahmad Watto against the ruling PML nominees for the top slots. At a meeting held at the residence of Mr Wattoo in Lahore, it was decided that the new alliance would field its candidates for the top slots of the district and its tehsils—Okara, Deepalpur, Renala Khurd— against the hopefuls nominated by Punjab chief minister. The meeting was attended by former district nazim Syed Sajjad Haider, former state minister and PML-N district chief Mian Muhammad Zaman, former MNA Rao Qaiser Ali Khan, MPA Chaudhry Javid Allauud Din, former MPAs Rai Noor Muhammad Kharl, Arif Chaudhry, Chaudhry Ziaud Din and Chaudhry Ikramul Haq.

For the district nazim slot the chief minister has nominated Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Gillani alias Maggu Shah, the son of former provincial minister Syed Afzaal Ali Shah Gillani, the chief of “Shah Muqeem group” which has reportedly emerged as the largest group in the district.

Similarly, for the district naib-nazim slot, Mr Elahi has nominated Malik Muhammad Abbas Khokhar, for Okara tehsil nazim Rao Atif Skinder, the son of Defence Minister Rao Skinder Iqbal has been nominated.

Sources say Manzoor Watto was offered to nominate candidate of his choice for Deepalpur tehsil nazim slot but he refused the offer, being confident of winning the seat even without ruling party’s assistance.

Punjab chief minister has nominated former MPA Malik Muhammad Akram Bhatty for Renala tehsil nazim, who is being opposed by Chaudhry Ziauddin.

Another important development in the district’s politics is parting of the ways by Mian Zaman and his group from the Rao Sikandar’s.

At another meeting attended by Defence Minister Rao Skinder Iqbal, Mian Manzoor Ahmad Watto and MNA and federal parliamentary secretary Rai Muhammad Aslam Kharl, it was decided that the nomination of 25-year-old Muhammad Ali Shah for the district nazim slot would be jointly opposed

Meanwhile, ruling PML district president and former Zilla council chairman Moeen Khan Watto has declare to contest for the district nazim slot. He claims that he was declared a covering candidate for Syed Afzal Shah by the Shah Muqeem group, and now he deserved to be the candidate instead of Muhammad Ali Shah.

PPP district president and city MPA Muhammad Ashraf Khan Sohna, former opposition leader in Punjab Assembly and PPP leader Rana Ikram Rabbani, PML-N provincial ticket-holder Mian Muhammad Munir and MMA district president Dr Liaqat Ali Kusar have also announced to support the “opposition candidate” in the district against the PML nominees.