GUJRAT: The lone PML-N MNA from Gujrat, Abid Raza Kotla, has expressed his reservations about, what he called, dominance of the sons of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain in the new division’s affairs, demanding a leading role for local leaders of his party, being the senior partner in the coalition government.

Talking to Dawn here on Friday, Mr Kotla said he had taken up the matter with Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif in a recent meeting, alleging that the PML-Q chief’s sons Salik Hussain and Shafay Hussain did not have a strong political footing in the area as compared to the Parvez Elahi faction of the party.

He said that Mr Salik had been elected from Chakwal district in the last general election and now he wanted to do politics in Gujrat, arguing that instead of Mr Shujaat’s sons, the PML-N local cadre should be given a leading role in the political and administrative affairs of the division.

He said if their dominance continued, it would create problems for the PML-N local cadres as many local politicians previously allying with Parvez Elahi faction of Q league, had now started “taking refuge” in the camp of Chaudhry Shujaat’s sons.

The MNA who had declined to accept the office of special assistant to prime minister (SAPM) on Wednesday the last, claimed that unlike the PML-Q, he did not wish to get the administrative officers of his choice posted in Gujrat, but if the PML-N was ignored in these matters, it would be hard for the party’s local cadre to support the junior coalition partner’s leadership.

He regretted that earlier the PML-N local leaders had been facing hardship because of the Parvez Elahi’s camp in Gujrat and now the other faction of the same party wanted to prevail.

However, he said that he and his other party colleagues were ready to work with Mr Shujaat’s sons and advised them to establish their own political office in Gujrat to put a good fight in the next general elections.

He reiterated that his loyalty and commitment to the PML-N was beyond any doubt, and he would continue to serve the party as an ordinary worker of Nawaz Sharif.

Official sources said that since Salik Hussain was a close relative to the Punjab caretaker Chief Minister Mohsin Naqvi, some of the recent transfer and postings of senior officers had been made on his recommendation and now the posting of Gujrat deputy commissioner was being delayed due to “a tug war” between the coalition partners.

However, they said Mr Kotla wanted to have a leading role in local affairs, like he had been enjoying during the brief stint of Hamza Shehbaz as Punjab chief minister last year. They said PML-N MNA’s dominance was equally resented even by some key local leaders of his own party.

Last month the supporters of PML-N Kotla group and Musa Elahi of PML-Q had clashed over renaming of the Kotla Civil Hospital, showing the simmering differences within the ruling coalition’s local cadres.

Published in Dawn, February 11th, 2023