MUZAFFARGARH, Jan 21: Each union council nazim will get Rs5 million if they vote for a pro-government candidate for the Muzaffargarh district nazim slot as the government has signalled to introduce a no-confidence move against District Nazim Sardar Qayyum Jatoi next month.

Dawn learnt on Sunday that a meeting of ruling Pakistan Muslim League (PML) parliamentarians, tehsil and union council nazims at the Tulheeri Canal Rest House, decided to present the move after the 10th Muharram.

Sources said the participants learnt that the Punjab chief minister had pledged to give Rs5 million to each pro-government union council nazim provided that the PML nominee win the slot.

Mr Jatoi and the Punjab government have been at loggerheads for the last two years. Mr Jatoi belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and prior to his tenure as district nazim he was a member of the National Assembly from the PPP Parliamentarians.

Those who attended the meeting are: MNA Tehmeena Dasti, MPAs Qaswar Langrial, Syed Qaim Ali Shamsi, Malik Jawad Kamran Khar and Ahmed Yar Hinjra, Naib District Nazim Syed Ali Raza Shamsi, Muzaffargarh Tehsil Nazim Sardar Abbad Dogar, Kotaddu Tehsil Nazim Malik Rafique Khar and Senator Amjad Qureshi.

Ghazi Ghat union council nazim Nasir Mahmood Almani who was present at the meeting confirmed the report of the offer.

MPA Jawad Kamran Khar told Dawn via telephone that 88 union council nazims had attended the meeting. He also said the chief minister had pledged to give money to pro-government union council nazims.

Ms Dasti, who was defeated by Mr Jatoi in the last district nazim election, said the PML candidate for the nazim office had yet to be decided.

Separately, Mr Jatoi also called the meeting of his supporters at the resident of UC nazim Dr Sohail Alam. Talking to reporters, he said that he had the favour of 58 UC nazims while he needed the support of 42 nazims to fail the no-confidence move. He said that the no-confidence move would fail.