TOBA TEK SINGH, April 4: In a dramatic development in the district’s political scene, two PML factions, headed by former district nazim Chaudhry Muhammad Ashfaq and sitting district nazim Chaudhry Abdul Sattar, have once again parted ways. Both have the candidates of their liking for the district naib nazim’s election on April 9.
Sources told this correspondent that with the efforts of Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi, both groups gathered in Lahore two months ago where it was decided that district naib nazim Chaudhry Sultan Ahmad (of the nazim group) would resign and the new incumbent would be elected by the house from Chaudhry Ashfaq’s group. The latter was asked to field a candidate after consultation with other groups.
Chaudhry Ashfaq had nominated Pirmahal Town nazim Chaudhry Khalid Sardar after Chaudhry Sultan’s resignation, but the treasury benches in the district council resented the decision and held at least six meetings in which their leaders — district nazim Chaudhry Sattar, Punjab Forest Minister Dr Ashfaqur Rehman and MNA Riaz Fatyana — announced disapproval of Chaudhry Khalid’s nomination.
After the revolt in the ruling group, Chaudhry Sattar, Dr Ashfaq and Riaz Fatyana remained silent and did not express their feelings.
However during a meeting of the ruling party members the other day, they announced that they were not with Chaudhry Khalid Sardar.
Speaking on the occasion, MNA Riaz Fatyana accused Chaudhry Ashfaq of violating the terms and conditions for reconciliation which had been brokered in the presence of the chief minister in Lahore. He claimed that it was decided that Chaudhry Ashfaq would nominate a consensus candidate after deliberations with him (Fatyana) and Chaudhry Sattar, but he ignored the condition and named a candidate of his liking. The candidate was still a PML-N office-bearer, he contended.
He said not a single district council member of the ruling group was willing to vote for Khalid Sardar so the treasury benches had unanimously decided that Chaudhry Azhar Chattha, a resident of Gojra, would be their candidate.
He also claimed that the chief minister had been apprised of the latest situation.
Chaudhry Azhar Chattha said 65 members were present at the meeting while five others were with him and they could not turn up owing to various reasons.
Gojra tehsil nazim Chaudhry Asad Zaman Cheema was also present.