GUJRAT, April 12: Some PML-Q members of Kharian tehsil have developed differences with the Chaudhris, especially with Chief Minister Pervaiz Elahi and district Nazim Shafaat Husain, over the issue of availability of development funds, it is learnt reliably here on Saturday.
Sources told Dawn on condition of anonymity that the rebels, including former district Naib Nazim Syed Noorul Hasan Shah and former MPA Mian Tariq of Dinga had convened a meeting of the party Nazims, Naib Nazims, office-bearers and workers on April 7 to plan further course of action against the Chaudhris. The next day the chief minister visited his hometown.
Sources quoted the Syed as saying at the meeting that since Mr Elahi had assumed the office of chief minister and a PPP MNA and MPA joined the Patriots, the attitude of the chief minister and the district Nazim with the politicians of Kharian tehsil had changed.
Mr Shah had claimed that the Chaudhris were giving priority to their new friends, MNA Rahman Naseer and MPA Amir Usman, a close aide of CM’s adviser Naeem Raza, while allocating funds for development schemes.
Former MPA Mian Tariq, who is the father of MPA Maria Tariq, also expressed the same sentiments. They requested the PML-Q activists to join their hands with them over the issue. They planned to form a delegation which would meet the chief minister and inform him about their grievances.
Sources said a large number of Nazims, Naib Nazims, councillors and workers assured them of their support. Only PML-Q district joint secretary Advocate Sajjad Akram differed with them.
There are unconfirmed reports that former MPA Liaquat Bhadar also participated in the meeting and also refused to support the dissidents.
Another source said Gujrat MC former chairman and PML-Q secretary-general Chaudhry Tufail was a hindrance in the way of several delegations to the Zahoor House who returned without meeting the Punjab chief.
Political pundits claimed told this scribe that Mr Elahi was losing popularity because security reasons did not allow him to mix up with his voters and workers.
Sources said the Chaudhris, especially Nazim Shafaat Husain, were not happy with the then Naib Nazim Noor Shah who resigned from his office to contest elections and lost allegedly due to unnecessary involvement of the Nazim in the affairs of the district government. The Chaudhris are also unhappy with former MPA Mian Tariq who dreamt of becoming Kharian tehsil Nazim after the disqualification of PPP’s Nadeem Asghar Kaira. Sources said Mian Tariq had been requesting the Chaudhris to take steps for the disqualification of Mr Kaira but they refused to do so because it would belie their claim of having shunned politics of revenge.
It is learnt that the dissidents have decided not to invite former MPA Liaquat Bhadar and PML-Q joint secretary Advocate Sajjad Akram to their meetings.