GUJRAT: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) has finally nominated Tahir Mahmood Manda as its candidate for the slot of Gujrat Municipal Corporation mayor as three other candidates belonging to the party have withdrawn their nomination papers in line with the decision.

The candidate was elected through balloting.

The PML-Q has already announced Mian Pervez Akhtar Pagganwala as its candidate who also enjoys the backing of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Now there will be a one-on-one contest between Mr Pagganwala and Mr Manda in the polling to be held on April 17.

The seat of Gujrat MC mayor had been vacated after the Supreme Court of Pakistan disqualified PML-N’s Haji Nasir Mehmood in December 2018 for having been convicted over fake graduation degree because of which he had to lose his Punjab Assembly seat from Gujrat city in 2010.

Since Nasir’s disqualification, Deputy Mayor Asif Mehmood of the PML-N had been holding the mayor’s acting charge. The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) issued a notification declaring the seat as vacant in March, announcing fresh election for the mayor’s slot.

Though the municipal house consists of 21 members, including 12 directly elected chairmen of various urban union councils and nine elected on the seats reserved for women, youth, labour and minorities.

However, currently the number of valid voters in the house is 19 as one of the UC chairmen, Yousaf Gull, of the PML-N, had resigned last year to contest the July 25 general elections as an independent candidate, whereas (ex-mayor) Haji Nasir Mehmood had already been disqualified as UC head.

The PML-N currently enjoys the support of 14 members of the house after one of its members, Ashraf Rehania, joined the PML-Q six months ago. The PML-Q has now three members, while the PTI has one.

Meanwhile, the PML-N has issued a show cause notice to Mr Rehania for proposing the nomination of Q candidate, Mr Pagganwala.

It is learnt that Basit Rathore, the vice chairman of the UC where chairman had resigned, has filed a writ petition in the Lahore High Court, seeking inclusion of his name in the voters’ list for the mayor election since he had become head of the said UC by default. The petitioner has also sought the rescheduling of the mayor election.

Sources told Dawn that the hearing of the petition had been fixed for April 5 (Friday), while the review petition of the disqualified mayor has also been pending within the high court.

Published in Dawn, April 5th, 2019