SIALKOT
The PML-N elected representatives and political leaders have stepped up their efforts and been using influence to see their blue-eyed persons in the race of local bodies elections.
Separate meetings are being held at their outhouses in Sialkot, Daska, Sambrial and Pasrur tehsils for getting the party tickets for their "blue eyed" candidates ahead of the upcoming LB polls in Sialkot district.
After the slot of the chairman of district council, the attractive slot is the Municipal Corporation mayor. Khawaja Muhammad Asif, the federal minister for defence, water and power, and MPAs M Ikram and Manshaullah Butt had their vote banks in most of the urban parts of Sialkot.
MNA Rana Shamim Ahmed and his son MPA Rana Abdul Sattar are using their complete political influence for bringing their person as candidate for the chairman of Sialkot District Council slot. Daska-based MNA Iftikharul Hassan Shah also wants to bring his cousin Syed Hassanatul Hassan Shah as candidate for the office.
In Pasrur, MNA Zahid Hamid, former federal minister, and MPAs Rana Liaqat Ali, Munawar Gill and Rana Afzal wanted the chairman from Pasrur tehsil for curbing the menace of prolonged backwardness of the tehsil.
According to the local PML-N officials, the slot of Mayor of Sialkot Municipal Corporation was lying at the political disposal of Khawaja Muhammad Asif. Ch Tauheed Akhtar, former chairman of Sialkot International Airport, was being declared as favourite for the slot as he is in the good book of Khawaja Asif.
Meanwhile, Variyo family eyes on the slot of district chairman by showing its political muscles. It has fielded Ch Khush Akhtar Subhani, former provincial minister for prisons Punjab, as candidate. He remained out of the local politics for several years due to his bad health and could not contest the 2013 general elections.
The family always played its key role in local politics as Akhtar Ali Variyo (late) and Abdul Sattar, former federal minister, had been district chairman.
Addressing the participants of several corner meetings in union council Bhaagowal-Sialkot, Subhani said that he was now in the local politics for playing a role in this regard. He had already started his election campaign there with the help of his cousin MNA Armughan Subhani, MPA Ch Tariq Akhtar Subhani and his uncle Ch Abdul Sattar, former federal minister.
Subhani was willing to contest the coming LB polls as PML-N candidate for the slot of chairman Bhaagowal to be in the local politics. The election would pave the way for the top slot of chairman.