TOBA TEK SINGH, April 19: Chaudhry Khalid Sardar, a nominee of former district nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq, was elected unopposed district naib nazim after a dramatic political development on Thursday.

Pressure by the provincial government and interference of an intelligence agency forced sitting nazim Chaudhry Abdul Sattar to withdraw his candidate for the run-off election for the naib nazim’s slot.

The district administration, on the direction of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, brokered reconciliation once again between the PML groups, headed by Chaudhry Ashfaq and Chaudhry Sattar, at the district council rest house. The two political stalwarts were earlier at variance with each other and had decided to field candidates of their choice for the naib nazim’s office.

In Thursday morning’s development, Chaudhry Sattar’s candidate Azhar Abbas Chattha withdrew his name, allowing Chaudhry Khalid Sardar to be declared naib nazim unopposed.

Former district naib nazim Chaudhry Sultan Ahmad had resigned two-and-a-half-months ago on the advice of the chief minister who asked Chaudhry Ashfaq to nominate his candidate for the slot. But the district council members belonging to the treasury benches refused to accept Chaudhry Ashfaq’s choice.

District nazim Chaudhry Sattar, Punjab Forest Minister Dr Ashfaqur Rehman, MNA from Kamalia Riaz Fatyana, MPA Begum Ashfa Riaz Fatyana (who is provincial women development minister), and MPA from Gojra Azhar Nadeem Gujjar had blamed Chaudhry Ashfaq for violating the terms and conditions settled in reconciliation that was brokered by the chief minister.

They announced that they would support Azhar Abbas Chattha instead of Chaudhry Khalid.

On April 9, byelection was held but it remained undecided because Chaudhry Khalid Sardar had failed to get the required number of votes out of 118 votes. The election authorities fixed April 19 for run-off polls.

After Chaudhry Azhar Abbas’ withdrawal, his group’s district council members did not show up at the district council hall where returning officer/additional district and sessions judge Waseem Aziz was waiting for the vote count through show of hands.

HUNGER STRIKE: The lawyers set up a hunger strike camp on Thursday at the district bar room to continue their protest over ‘suspension’ of the chief justice of Pakistan.