MUZAFFARGARH, Feb 4: Kot Addu and Muzaffargarh tehsil nazims have demonstrated their strength by arranging meetings of union council nazims to oust District Nazim Sardar Qayyum Jatoi.

Dawn learnt on Sunday the ruling Pakistan Muslim League would finalise a date for no-confidence motion after Feb 6 against Jatoi, who belongs to the Pakistan People’s Party. On Feb 6, the Lahore High Court, Multan bench, will resume the hearing of a writ petition filed by Jatoi against the blocking of funds by the Punjab government.

Sources said that Chief Minister Pervaiz had asked all the four tehsil nazims in Muzaffargarh to arrange a majority vote in their tehsils against the district nazim. Earlier, the government was relying on the members of National and provincial assemblies and Senate to woo union council nazims to remove the PPP man. Now, Kot Addu, Muzaffargarh, Alipur and Jatoi tehsil nazims have been entrusted with arranging the desired number of voters. Sources said that the tehsil nazims were told that if they could not deliver, they would not only be removed from their offices, but files would also be opened against them.

Kot Addu Tehsil Nazim Malik Rafique Khar arranged a gathering of UC nazims on Saturday in which 37 union council nazims, of a total 45, were present. Muzaffargarh Tehsil Nazim Sardar Abad Dogar arranged the meeting wherein 30 UC nazims were present. In both meetings, the nazims were asked to sign their resignation letters. They were also told that if they ditched the ruling side, they would be punished, according to sources.

Talking to Dawn, Sardar Abad Dogar said he had done his job. When asked why the government wanted to remove the district nazim, he said might is right. “It is our government and we cannot allow a PPP nazim to rule over the district,” he said.

On Monday and Tuesday, tehsil nazims of Jatoi and Alipur will also hold such meetings of nazims.

Sources said that the chief minister wanted to make the no-confidence move a success at every cost.

“We do not want to repeat the history of Kharian where the government failed to win a no-confidence move against the PPP-backed nazim,” said Nasir Almani, Ghazi Ghaat union council nazim.

Before becoming district nazim, Jatoi was a member of the National Assembly from the PPP. He was among those few who were elected district nazims after defeating PML candidates in 2002 local council election. Besides him, others elected district nazims from the opposition were: Rana Zahid Tauseef (Faisalabad), Rana Hayat Khan (Kasur), Rao Hashim Naseem (Pakpattan), Shahid Mehdi Naseem (Vehari), Maqsood Leghari (Dera Ghazi Khan), Rai Hassan Nawaz (Sahiwal) and Obaidulla Shadikhel (Mianwali).

Except Jatoi and Rana Hayat Khan from Kasur, other opposition nazims joined the PML and are enjoying all powers.

Jatoi said that he was confident that he would thwart the no-trust move. He said the recent build-up in government’s efforts to remove him was a hoax to woo his voters but they would not ditch him. He said that he enjoyed the support of 58 UC nazims. He said the chief minister-backed group lacked unity and they would not agree on consensus candidate against him.

As the tehsil nazims are busy arranging majority votes, three potential candidates have also started lobbying for their nomination for the top slot. Among those include: MNA Tehmina Dasti, former MNA Mian Abbas Qureshi and former district nazim Sultan Hinjra. Jatoi will benefit from the differences in the ruling alliance over the nomination of candidate for the top local council district slot.

If Jatoi survives the move, he is sure to be a big challenge for the PML in the 2007 elections. If he loses the post, he will project himself as ‘political martyr’ thus emerging as a torch-bearer of political morality in the country.