GUJRAT: The Pakistan People’s Party has stepped up its efforts to regain lost ground in central Punjab district of Gujrat by activating the old guard like the Servis family of former federal minister Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar and the Pagganwalas.

Party co-chairman Asif Ali Zardari personally expressed his wish at a meeting with the close family members of Mr Mukhtar at their Lahore residence last week, sources told Dawn.

Though it was a visit to offer condolences since Mukhtar died in November last year, political matters were also discussed in the meeting with Mukhtar’s widow Nilofar, their lone son Faisal Mukhtar, Servis family’s head Chaudhary Arif Saeed and Chaudhary Hassan Javed.

Sources in the PPP said former president’s stay in Lahore was basically aimed at evaluating the party’s strength in Punjab as well as approaching the old guard. They said the Punjab chapter of party had asked Mr Zardari that the PPP needed active participation of Ahmed Mukhtar and Pagganwala families in Gujrat for future electoral politics.

Pagganwala family’s Fakhar Mushtaq Pagganwala and former MNA Sameena Pagganwala have already started approaching gross root workers after former prime minister and PPP organiser in central Punjab Raja Pervez Ashraf held a meeting with them a few weeks ago.

The Servis group has once been political rivals of Chaudharys of PML-Q in Gujrat until 2013. Later, Ahmed Mukhtar became inactive due to his poor health and did not contest the 2018 elections. However, both Mukhtar and his elder brother Chaudhary Ahmed Saeed died within the last two years which, the analysts say, caused a vacuum in local politics.

Ahmed Mukhtar contested five elections against Chaudhary Shujaat Hussain (1990-2008) and won twice (1993 and 2008) whereas in 2013, he lost against Chaudhary Pervez Elahi.

Sources said Mukhtar’s family expressed its grievance with Zardari for not taking care of Mukhtar in 2013 when, according to them, Pervez Elahi contested against Mukhtar despite an agreement between both the two parties that the constituency won by any of them in 2008 would be retained by the same party in 2013 and the other party would not field its candidate.

The PPP had earlier lost the Nawabzada family of its former MNA Nawabzada Ghaznafar Ali Gull in the wake of its alliance with the PML-Q as Mr Gull and his brother Nawabzada Mazhar Ali had contested as PML-N aspirants in 2018 and 2013, respectively, against the PML-Q. However Lalamusa’s Kaira family of Qamar Zaman Kaira is still with the PPP.

It is learnt that Mr Zardari assured the family of being with it through thick and thin and also asked them to consider his offer seriously and let him know upon his next visit to Lahore.

On the other hand, the former president held a detailed meeting with Punjab Assembly Speaker Chaudhary Pervez Elahi during his recent visit to Lahore and sources said both tried to explore possible cooperation between the two parties in future politics of Punjab as well as at the federal level.

The Servis family’s head Arif Saeed has been closely associated with the PML-N president Mian Shahbaz Sharif and served as chairman of TEVTA and also completed some assignments of energy projects during the last PML-N rule.

Sources say the family is seriously considering to re-enter electoral politics of Gujrat and the PML-N may be their first option, keeping in view the ground situation of Punjab.

In 2013, the PML-N had announced Chaudhary Ahmed Saeed as its candidate from NA-69 against Chaudhary Pervez Elahi but Mr Saeed withdrew his nomination papers after his younger brother Ahmed Mukhtar’s refusal to not withdraw as a PPP aspirant in the same constituency. However, both the brothers reconciled in 2015-16.

Political analysts say the re-entry of the Servis group in the Gujrat politics may have a far reaching impact on the politics of the entire district.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2021