OKARA: First time in 50 years the Okara Gymkhana office-bearers have been selected through an election. Prior to that, the siting DC would select the people.

Okara Chamber of Commerce and Industry ex-president Chaudhry Khalilur Rehman was elected secretary with 511 votes against his rival Qamar Abbas Mughal’s 76.

Some 598 votes were polled out of total 652, including 32 women.

For the governing body, four seats after one-on-one contest went to Muhammad Gulshan Ch, Waqar Faiz, Ch Shafiqur Rehman and Shahbaz Shahin. The office of president went ex officio to the deputy commissioner.

The gymkhana election became the event when former and sitting parliamentarians, including provincial minister Samsam Bokhari, MNAs Riazul Haq Juj, Rao Muhammad Ajmal Khan, Nadeem Abbas Rubera, MPAs Mian Yawar Zaman, Muneebul Haq, Ghulam Raza Rubera, former MNA and MPA Ch Muhammad Arif, Mian Muhammad Munir and CM’s political assistant Mian Abdul Rashid Booti actively campaigned for their aspirants.

DC Irfan Ali Kathia changed more then 50-year-old Officers Club in gymkhana and took an initiative to publicise and invite application for open membership.

At the time of issuance of application forms three months ago, the membership fee was set Rs300,000 but seeing interest, the administration eventually raised the fee to Rs0.4m, 0.5m and then 0.6m. Some 24 hours before the polling day (Dec 28), the fee was raised to Rs0.81m.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2022