GUJRAT: At least five siblings from Kotla family have been nominated as candidates from three political parties - PML-N, PML-Q and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Three of the brothers are up against each other from the same constituency - PP 28 (Kotla) - in the Feb 8 polls.

A faction of Kotla group, being led by ex-MNA Abid Raza, has been awarded the PML-N tickets from three constituencies. Tanveer Kotla, a former Gujrat district council chairman, has been nominated from PP-33 (Lalamusa), ex-MPA Shabeer Kotla is a party nominee from PP-28 and Abid Raza is contesting from NA-62 (Sara-I-Alamgir-Kharian-Kotla) for the third consecutive time.

This is for the first time in the history of Gujrat district that three brothers had been given tickets of the same party.

Similarly, Naeem Raza Kotla, a former adviser to the Punjab chief minister, has been contesting from PP-28 on a PML-Q ticket whereas his younger brother Shahid Raza, a former Kotla union council chairman, managed to get PTI ticket from the same constituency where another brother Shabeer Kotla is a PML-N nominee.

PML-N’s Shabeer Kotla had defeated his elder brother Naeem Raza of the PML-Q in the 2013 general elections and now three brothers are contesting to win that seat.

The other two siblings, who are contesting from constituencies of Gujrat, belong to the Chaudhrys of PML-Q as Salik Hussain and his brother Shafay Hussain, sons of PML-Q chief Shujaat Hussain, are in the race from NA-64 (Gujrat-Kunjah) and its both PA seats - PP 31 and 32. Hussain Elahi and Musa Elahi, scions of Wajahat Hussain, are contesting from NA-63 and NA-62, respectively.

Two members of Nawabzada family - ex-MNA Ghazanfar Ali Gul and ex-MPA Haider Mehdi - are vying for NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda) and PP-29 (Tanda) on the PML-N platform.

The two members of Kaira family - PPP stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira and his cousin Nadeem Asghar Kaira - are contestants from NA-65 (Lalamusa-Dinga) and PP-33 (Lalamusa) on the tickets of PPP.

Meanwhile, the PML-N senior leadership has contacted former state minister Jaafar Iqbal, who had been denied the ticket from NA-65 where the party fielded Naseer Abbas Sidh, the brother of Chief of Air Staff Zaheerudin Baber Sidh.

It is learnt that Shahbaz Sharif made s phone call to Mr Iqbal, taking him into confidence over the circumstances for not awarding ticket to him.

In a statement issued here on Saturday, Mr Iqbal announced to be loyal to the party by accepting the decision.

He said he would never make any request to accommodate or reward him in response to his acceptance of party decision.

Sources said until Friday night, the reports of Jaafar’s becoming a PML-Q candidate for NA-65 were rife.

Published in Dawn, January 14th, 2024