DERA GHAZI KHAN, Dec 28: The naib nazim elections here deepened rift within the PML but brought the Khosa camp led by Punjab PML-N president Zulfiqar Ali Khosa closer to the ruling party.

The Legharis, who may be ruing their merger with the PML, were on the losing end again. They did not hide their frustration as federal minister Awais Leghari launched a scathing attack on Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi at a press conference here on Wednesday.

Khosa’s youngest son Dost Muhammad Khosa was elected district naib nazim. He obtained 65 votes against PML’s Asim Zubair Khosa who could manage 15.

Asim Zubair’s nomination was announced last week by Awais.

The PML-N supported allies of the Punjab chief minister - District Nazim Maqsood Ahmed Khan Leghari and MNA Nasrulla Khan Dareshak, respectively, in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur.

Sources claim that the provincial PML-N chief has been in contact with the chief minister. They claim that Dost Muhammad Khosa had a meeting with the CM during the launch of Taunsa barrage remodelling on Dec 19.

Meanwhile, candidate backed by MNA Khwaja Sheraz won the Taunsa tehsil naib nazim poll. Tufail Qaisrani defeated Pir Bashir Jaafar by seven votes.

The Jamal Leghari group won tehsil nazimship of Dera Ghazi Khan when its candidate Dr Syed Ashraf Shah got 33 votes against 21 by Syed Qasim Shah of Maqsood Khosa group. Ghulam Nabi Qaisrani was elected naib nazim of tehsil tribal area, Dera Ghazi Khan, by a 5-4 margin.

LEGHARI: 1Speaking at a news conference, Federal Telecommunication Minister Awais Leghari said that the chief minister was supporting those who were against President Musharraf. He claimed that the newly-elected district naib nazim was a proclaimed offender in a case under section 7ATA registered with the Sakhi Sarwar police station.