AHMEDPUR EAST-Ameer of Bahawalpur Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and his first cousin former deputy speaker Punjab Assembly Sahibzada Muhammad Usman Abbasi have decided to shun their 30 years long political differences and join hands.
An announcement in this regards will be made on of Eidul Fitr when both Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and Sahibzada Usman Abbasi will meet during which they will finalise a joint future plan for politics and other matters, close circles of Sahibzada Usman Abbasi confided to this correspondent here.
They told The Nation that both Nawab Salahuddin and Sahibzada Usman Abbasi were in touch and a meeting between the two erstwhile arch rivals was held at the residence of Ameer of Bahawalpur in Lahore. In which they decided to unite on one platform.
On the other hand, both Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and Sahibzada Usman Abbasi have not yet confirmed the news as the former is in Islamabad while the latter is avoiding talk on this issue.
It is to be noted that both Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi and Sahibzada Usman Abbasi have contested elections against each other since 1988,but now both prominent figures of Abbasi family would not contest elections themselves.
Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi intends to field his son Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi who last year graduated from Kings College London in “International Political Economy” while Sahibzada Usman Abbasi is struggling to get elected his elder son Sahibzada Gazain Abbasi as member Punjab Assembly from PP-268 Ahmedpur East.
Gazain Abbasi had been elected as MPA in 2008 general elections but in 2013 elections, he and his uncle Sahibzada Umar Abbasi suffered defeat in NA-183 and PP-268 Ahmedpur East respectively.
PP-268 Ahmedpur East was considered a stronghold of Sahibzada Usman Abbasi as he had been elected MPA from this constituency in 1985, 1990 and 1998 general elections while his nominee Muzzamilur Rasheed Abbasi won the polls in 2002 general elections and his son Gazain Abbasi emerged as victorious in 2008 polls.
Political circles are of the view that Sahibzada Usman Abbasi’s younger brother Sahibzada Umar Abbasi faced defeat at the hands of new PML-N candidate Adnan Farid in 2013 elections as Usman Abbasi’s first cousin Sahibzada Faizur Rasheed Abbasi filed nomination papers against his brother and their one group member Raees Abdul Waheed also contested against Umar Abbasi. Due to this split in his group and the opposition of Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi, Umar Abbasi lost the elections.
Now Sahibzada Usman Abbasi is planning to regain his old Punjab Assembly seat for his elder son Gazain Abbasi.
On the other hand Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi who returned as MNA five times in 1977, 1988, 1990, 1993, 1998 general election from Bahawalpur city and Ahmedpur East constituencies has introduced three new faces in Ahmedpur East constituency. He backed the candidature of Ali Hassan Gillani who was elected MNA first time in 2002 general elections. Similarly with his support Arif Aziz Sheikh secured NA seat in 2008 general elections on PPP ticket. Moreover with his support, Samiul Hassan Gillani elected as Chairman District Council Bahawalpur in 1997 local bodies polls.
He again returned Tehsil Nazim with his support in 2001 local govt elections.
Neither Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi nor Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi have shown their interest in upcoming polls but political circles said that Nawab Abbasi will launch his son Prince Bahawal Abbas Khan Abbasi in politics soon.
Local political pundits are of the opinion that with the arrival of Nawab Abbasi in Sadiq Garh Palace in the last week of Ramazan, everything will be cleared.