GUJRAT: The PML N has ignored its two major old guards in the Gujrat district in nominating the party candidates for the upcoming election.

Former minister for state Chaudhry Jaafar Iqbal Fatta Bhand and former mayor of Gujrat Municipal Corporation Haji Nasir Mehmood have not been given the party tickets for NA-65 (Lalamusa-Dinga) and PP-31 (Gujrat city), respectively.

The PML-N has announced a party ticket for Naseer Abbas Sidh, the brother of Chief of Air Staff Zaheerudin Baber Sidhu, for NA-65 against PPP stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira and former MNA Syed Faizul Hassan Shah of Kulewal Syedan. However, Sidh was given the ticket at the cost of Jaafar Iqbal Fatta Bhand who had won the seat for the party in 2013 and remained the runner-up in 2018 against the PTI’s Faizul Hassan Shah who is now again in the run as an independent candidate after quitting the PTI.

Jaafar Iqbal was a party candidate since 2002 when the PML-N was facing the wrath of Gen Musharraf and again in 2008 as well while Naseer Abbas Sidh was a PML-Q candidate in both these elections.

District president quits party to join PML-Q; former mayor also offended

Similarly, Ex-MPA and former mayor of Gujrat MC Haji Nasir Mehmood has been made a scapegoat to accommodate Shafay Hussain, the son of PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, in PP-31 Gujrat city as the PML N did not nominate any candidate against both sons of Shujaat.

Former federal minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain will contest from two seats, NA 64 (Gujrat city-Kunjah) and PP-32 (Kunjah), as the PML-Q nominee.

The local PML-N cadres have strongly condemned the party decision of not awarding tickets to the former mayor. However, Haji Nasir said he had convened a meeting of local party officials on Friday (today) for consultation on the future course of action, adding that he had neither been taken into confidence on the matter by the party nor had he been asked to support the PML-Q candidates.

On the other hand, Shafay Hussain has consistently been criticising the former mayor in his speeches and statements.

Both the PML-Q and PML-N have agreed on the seat adjustment only in NA-64 and its both PA seats, PP-31 and PP-32, as the nominees of both the parties are up against each other on at least six seats, including NA-62 and NA-63 and PP 27, 28, 29 and 30 whereas the PML-Q did not field any candidates in NA-65 and its both PA seats, PP-33 and PP-34.

Meanwhile, the PML-N has issued tickets to at least three brothers from the Kotla group as former MNA Abid Raza, his elder brother Tanveer Kotla, a former Gujrat district council chairman, and former MPA Shabbir Kotla have been nominated for NA-62, PP-33 and PP-28, respectively.

Similarly, two members of the Nawabzada family, including former MNA Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul and former MPA Nawabzada Haider Mehdi, have been given the PML-N tickets for NA-63 and PP-29, respectively.

On the other hand, on being ignored by his own party in the award of tickets, PML-N district general secretary Raja Muhammad Aslam announced joining the PML-Q.

Aslam was PML-N candidate for PP-27 (Sara-i-Alamgir-Kharian) in the 2018 election while the party has awarded a ticket to former MNA Malik Haneef Awan for the constituency.

Raja Aslam announced joining the PML-Q at a news conference in the presence of PML-Q leader Chaudhry Wajahat Hussain who declared him as the party candidate for PP-27.

Former MNA Tashfeen Safdar Marala and Naeem Raza Kotla, PML-Q nominee for PP-28 (Kotla) were also present.

Earlier on Wednesday, Kharian’s Marala group of former PML-Q MNA Rehman Naseer Marala had joined the PML-N in a meeting with Shehbaz Sharif in Lahore. However, the PML N suffered a loss when its district general secretary quit it to join the PML-Q.

The political realignment has been accelerated in Gujrat district as the electioneering picked up the momentum and the parties have started awarding tickets to their candidates.

Published in Dawn, January 12th, 2024