FAISALABAD, May 9: With local elections approaching, aspirants for nazim and naib nazim seats have stepped up their activities. A majority of the aspirants are trying to win the ruling party support to brighten their chances to get key offices, although the elections are supposed to be on non-party basis.
After the introduction of the devolution of power plan, Faisalabad became the biggest district with 289 union councils and six city tehsils — Saddar, Chak Jhumra, Samundri, Tandlianwala and Jaranwala.
If the government divides Faisalabad city into three or four towns and gives the remaining part the status of city district, there would be a different picture.
Sitting Nazim Chaudhry Zahid Nazir is again favourite for the top slot of the district. He is the brother of MNA Asim Nazir and has a large vote bank in both rural and urban areas.
His rival is sitting Naib Nazim Raza Nasarullah Ghuman. He claims to have the backing of Governor Khalid Maqbool.
The third candidate for this important seat is ruling PML MNA Ghulam Rasool Sahi, the brother of Punjab Assembly Speaker Afzal Sahi. The Sahis have good support in their native tehsil Chak Jhumra and rural areas of the district, especially in Jaranwala tehsil.
PML-N’s former MNA Rana Zahid Tauseef who is elder brother of MNA Rana Asif Tauseef is also in the race for the district Nazim. He claims to have the support of more than 100 nazims of union councils as well as a vast vote of Rajput clan.
PPP MPA Raja Riaz Ahmad is also a strong candidate for the district nazim’s office.
He gave tough time to sitting nazim Zahid Nazir during the last elections.
MMA has nominated its previous candidate, Sardar Zafar Hussain, for this important seat of the district. Sardar Zafar had contested the last local bodies elections for the district naib nazim seat with the PPP support.
Zahid Nazir, Nasarullah Ghuman and Ghulam Rasool Sahi are running from pillar to post to get the backing of the ruling party.
City tehsil Nazim Mumtaz Ali Cheema is in good position to retain his office due to support of his brother, Textile Minister Mushtaq Cheema and Law Minister Wasi Zafar.
A new face and young politician, Rana Zahid Mahmood, is also in the race. He boasts of the support of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, two provincial ministers and a close aide of President Gen Pervez Musharraf.
PML-N’s former MPA Khwaja Muhammad Islam is also a candidate for the city tehsil nazim. He claims the support of nazims, naib nazims, councillors of union councils, local trade bodies and former parliamentarians.
PPP’s advocate Ijaz Virk has the backing of entire party leadership, especially Punjab secretary general MPA Rana Aftab Ahmad Khan and MPAs Raja Riaz Ahmad and Riaz Shahid.
MMA is reportedly backing its city amir Mehboobuz Zaman Butt for the office.
Mumtaz Cheema and Rana Zahid Mahmood also claim to be government-backed candidates and have geared up their activities.
Political activities also picked up in tehsils Samundri, Saddar, Tandlianwala, Jaranwala and Chak Jhumra. The aspirants are arranging meetings with the heads of major clans in rural areas to set a solid ground for their forthcoming elections.