RAHIM YAR KHAN: PML-N district president Mian Khalid Shaheen has alleged that the local MNA has betrayed the party and its higher command during the local elections by ensuring victory of his blue-eyed candidates.

At a press conference here on Wednesday, Shaheen said the local public representatives (MNA and MPAs) neglected and exploited the party workers. He alleged that MNA Mian Imtiaz Ahmed issued the party tickets for the local elections to those who repeatedly switched loyalties and divided his (Shaheen’s) ward into two parts to let him down.

Mian Imtiaz, he alleged, had cultivated the culture of money to win the elections and he warned many PML-N workers of implication in cases under section 376 and 377 if they supported him (Shaheen). He said that in the LG elections, the MNA and MPAs had lost nine union councils including their native UCs due to selection of “non-party” candidates.

Shaheen, who was flanked by many supporters, further said that owing to the attitude of the MNA, many veteran PML-N leaders including Mian Abdul Khaliq, Sarwar Akhtar, Chaudhry Shafiq Chenab and Asif Majeed had left the party.

A few years ago, he alleged, the MNA wanted to grab the precious land of Mahmood Stadium to build a shopping complex but he resisted and saved that land which was meant for the establishment of a medical college. He said the MNA and his cronies were now planning to grab prime railways land through lease process.

Shaheen accused Mian Imtiaz of insulting and abusing a prominent figure of Rahim Yar Khan, Chaudhry Munir Hidayatullah, and said he (district head) would soon meet Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to inform him about the situation.

MNA Mian Imtiaz’s brother Haji Ibrahim, being a spokesman, told Dawn that Shaheen had failed to win a councillor seat and should resign from the party office for his involvement in grabbing a woman’s property (land) where he established a factory.

He denied that the MNA wanted to grab the stadium or railways land.

Published in Dawn, December 10th, 2015