GUJRAT: A delegation of the PML-N men from Gujrat called on party supremo Nawaz Sharif in London a couple of days ago to convey to him the weak position of the party in the district and give him a briefing on the local politics.

The matter of bringing back disgruntled former PML-N district president and ex-MNA Malik Hanif Awan, belonging to Sara-i-Alamgir, into the party fold was also discussed by the delegation led by Chaudhry Aitzaz Taj.

Sources said the PML-N’s recent defeat in the Kharian Cantonment Board election at the hands of the ruling PTI, differences among the local cadre over nomination of party officials and sidelining of the old guards were discussed.

They said Nawaz was told that the situation might further cost the party heavily in general election in Gujrat where the party could win only one NA seat out of total four and seven Punjab Assembly seats in 2018 while in 2013, it had won three NA and seven PA seats out of four NA and eight PA seats, respectively.

Mr Taj told Dawn by phone that he had requested Nawaz to persuade Hanif Awan, who had contested the last general election as an independent candidate, for rejoining the party.

Awan had distanced himself from the party in protest against promotion of Kotla group at his cost. He served as Gujrat district PML-N president for two decades (1999-2018) and was elected as MNA and as MPA twice (1997 and 2013). His nephew, Jamil Awan, was elected as an MNA in 2008.

Mr Taj claimed that Nawaz Sharif had asked him to play a role in the party’s reconciliation with Hanif.

Another party leader said unavailability of a suitable candidate for NA-69 against the PML-Q, differences among the Nawabzada family over candidature on NA-68 and PP-28 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda), the party’s old guard like former mayor Haji Nasir Mehmood and Jaafar Iqbal being silent due to dominance of Kotla group had already been brought into the notice of senior leadership, including Shehbaz Sharif and Rana Sanaullah.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2021