RAWALPINDI: PML-N will finalise its candidate for election of vice presidential slot of Chaklala Cantonment Board (CCB) as incumbent Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) supported vice president is resigning from the post as per agreement between PML-N and JI.

After local bodies election in the cantonment in 2021, PML-N and Jamaat-i-Islami reached an agreement that PML-N will hold the office of vice-president of CCB for one year and the next year JI’s Khalid Mirza will become vice-president and for the remaining two years, PML-N will again get the top civilian slot of the cantonment.

JI could enjoy the post for only one year as it had less members in the board while PML-N had five seats so it was given three years.

For first year of the tenure, Chaudhry Changaiz Khan, who is brother of PML-N senior leader Chaudhry Tanveer Khan, became the vice president and last year, JI’s Khalid Mirza held the office. Now, the tenure of Khalid Mirza as vice-president came to an end in June, PML-N has asked its allied party’s candidate to resign from the post so that it can nominate its candidate.

Ruling party, JI had reached an agreement to hold office alternately

PML-N got five seats in Sept 12, 2021 cantonment board elections, Jamaat-i-Islami got two, PTI secured two and one seat was clinched by an independent candidate.

After election on two special seats, PML-N got another seat of labour and JI won a minority seat.

A senior PML-N leader told Dawn that the name of former Vice President Raja Irfan Imtiaz had been recommended by the CCB members to the local leadership. However, he said the divisional president of PML-N Malik Ibrar was in London on private visit. When he returns, he will send few names to the selection committee of the party in Lahore.

On the other hand, he said that some local party leaders wanted to give the seat to Chaudhry Changaiz Khan. However, he said that the party leadership would decide who will become the vice president of the CCB. He said that JI also wanted to seek extension but the ruling PML-N had made it clear that all the arrangements were made under a written agreement and they will abide by it.

He said the PML-N had won five general councilor seats and one seat of labour and JI had only two general seats and one minority seat.

When contacted, PML-N leader and former Vice President Raja Irfan Imtiaz said that the party would announce its candidate in coming week for the post of vice-president of the cantonment board and JI Khalid Mirza will resign immediately.

He said that PML-N had chalked out plans for the next two yearsdevelopment works in the cantonment areas and priority would be given to overcoming water shortage and improving streets and roads of the less developed areas of Chaklala Cantonment Board.

When asked about termination of 58 daily wages workers of Chaklala Cantonment board, the CCB member said that the issue would be raised in the board meeting. However, he said that CCB administration was of the view that the daily wagers should be terminated due to week financial condition of the cantonment board.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2024