GUJRAT: The Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) has announced an unconditional support to the independent group of former PML-N MNA Malik Haneef Awan in the upcoming local elections in Sara-i- Alamgir tehsil.

Once a district president of PML-N in Gujrat for almost 20 years, Haneef Awan had been annoyed with the party leadership over policies of Hamza Shahbaz Sharif in Gujrat district due to which Mr Awan did not apply for the party ticket and contested as an independent candidate in July 2018 election from NA- 71 (Kharian-Sara-i- Alamgir).

Former federal minister and PML- Q leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain had been asking Mr Awan to join the Q league for the last couple of years however, sources said, that initially both had decided to forge an alliance in the local bodies elections.

Mr Awan was elected an MPA twice (1997 and 2013) and an MNA in the by-elections of December 2012 after his nephew MNA Jamil Awan was de-seated from then NA-107 and now NA-71 for holding dual nationality. The decision to forge the alliance was made at a meeting between Haneef Awan and Chaudhry Wajahat in Islamabad the other day after which Mr Awan also called on PML-Q chief and former prime minister Chaudhy Shujaat Hussain to inquire after his health during which the Q chief also endorsed the alliance.

Speaking to Dawn on Saturday, Haneef Awan denied the reports of his groups joining the PML-Q and said that in fact an alliance between the Shujaat group and Awan group had been made in Sara-i- Alamgir as the PML-Q had extended an unconditional support to Awan group in fielding the candidates for tehsil nazim and Municipal Committee.

Former MNA Jamil Awan has already been announced as a candidate for the slot of Sara-i-Alamgir tehsil nazim from the Awan group whereas the decision on selecting the candidate for slot of Municipal Committee will be made later on.

He said that as far as the matter of becoming the part of PML-Q was concerned, it would be determined as per the nature of cooperation and success of both the groups in the upcoming elections since an atmosphere had intentionally been developed within the PML-N to get rid of him (Awan group) that was why he had decided to contest as an independent group.

It is learnt that the PML-Q leadership is interested in fielding Chaudhry Musa Elahi, a scion of Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain, in the next general elections from NA- 71 for which the party needs the support of a strong group that has been found to it in the shape of Awan group.

Published in Dawn, September 13th, 2020