TOBA TEK SINGH, Nov 20: The upcoming election for the district naib nazim slot has once again created difference in the ruling PML. Former district nazim and Punjab PML vice-president Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq has claimed that he was promised by Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi before the second phase of the local election that both district naib nazim and Toba Tek Singh tehsil naib nazim would be from his group.

He said he was confident that the candidates for both slots would be from his group.

On the other hand, District Nazim Chaudhry Abdul Sattar has claimed otherwise, saying Chaudhry Ashfaq had even filed nomination papers against him for the nazim’s office and insisted that the PML high-command would change the decision in his favour. Refused by the ruling party, he (Ashfaq) got published advertisements in newspapers against the party leadership and purchased votes.

He made it clear that only Pervaiz Elahi was authorized to announce the party support for district and tehsil naib nazim candidates.

According to a source, the district nazim group is at odds over the issue. Pervez Elahi had recently assured ruling party MNA from Gojra Chaudhry Amjad Warraich and his brother Chaudhry Bilal Warraich, an MPA, that the former’s brother-in-law Chaudhry Sajjad Ahmad Sohal (Gojra Union Council No 19 nazim) would be the party candidate for district naib nazim slot. But Punjab Forest Minister Dr Ashfaqur Rehman was opposing this decision.

Similarly, MNA from Kamalia Riaz Fatyana and his wife Begum Ashfa Fatyana, the provincial women development minister, were also opposing the party support to the Warraich group’s candidate. They were willing to bring either UC nazim Rao Azhar Iqbal, son of former PML MPA Rao Muhammad Iqbal, or Chaudhry Sultan Ahmad.