GUJRAT: The PML-N is facing a serious threat of losing its ground completely in Gujrat city after an erosion of its local rank and file has started, especially at the hands of the PML-Q. At least eight to 10 former union council chairmen, a former mayor, ex-councilors and some party officials from NA-64 (Gujrat-Kunjah) have already left the PML-N to join the PML-Q while some other influential groups within the former are also weighing the option to follow suit, says an office-bearer of the PML-N local chapter while speaking to Dawn.

He says that previously such an adjustment with the PML-Q had caused an adverse impact on the PPP that was once a strong political rival to the Chaudhrys and now the same mistake is being repeated by the PML-N whose results have already started appearing in the form of desertions of the party men. Despite the PML-N not fielding candidates against Salik and Shafay as a sign of respect to their father and PML-Q chief Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain, both the sons of the PML-Q leader have been giving statements that they don’t want such a favour from the PML-N. However, in spite of the harsh statements from the younger Chaudhrys, the PML-N leadership is not giving a green signal to the party candidates even to contest the election independently.

Allowing the N-backed candidates to contest the polls in three constituencies of Gujrat city independently may at least save the party’s local cadres from further erosion, says former mayor Gujrat Haji Nasir Mehmood who is an aspirant for PP-31. He says he is bound to the party leadership’s decision as earlier he was conveyed to have a symbol of ‘bear’ but was directed to wait for the further signals whether to launch his campaign or not but so far he has not been allowed to initiate the campaign.

Party faces defections after its reluctance to field candidates against Chaudhrys

The fresh among those leaving the PML-N is Iftikhar Warraich, the former party UC chairman from Gujrat city, who announced to join the PML-Q by meeting Chaudhry Shafay Hussain on Saturday.

Earlier, former mayor Gujrat MC Tahir Maanda, Zafar Iqbal Rehmani, Azam Warraich, Shahid Aslam Butt, former councilor Aslam Gujjar and others of the PML-N had joined the PML-Q.

The PPP has also withdrawn its candidate from PP-31 Mian Fakhar Mushtaq Pagganwala on the request of PML-Q leadership.

However, Salik Hussain while speaking to the media at the Gujrat Press Club recently said his party had not contacted the PML-N after the latter did not honour the seat adjustment formula settled between both the parties at the time of no-confidence move against the PTI government and joining the PDM government in 2022.

Claiming that it had been decided between both the parties that the PML-N would not field its candidates on the four NA and eight PA seats but the PML-N changed its attitude towards the Q that did not contact to the N leadership as Chaudhry Shujaat did not deem it appropriate to repeatedly make contact for the sake of seats.

Salik said that before coming to Shujaat’s house last month, Mian Nawaz Sharif had gone somewhere else where distribution of ministries had already been settled.

He said after the PML-Q’s statement of ending the seat adjustment with the PML-N, it was purely the latter’s decision whether or not to award the tickets to its aspirants in NA-64 and PP-31 and PP-32.

Published in Dawn, January 24th, 2024