ISLAMABAD: While it may have emerged as the dominant party across Punjab in the recently-held first phase of local government elections, the PML-N may yet face difficulties posting comprehensive wins in the federal capital in the wake of a marked split within local party cadres.

Workers and office-bearers of the ruling party allege that – judging by the decisions taken ahead of the LG polls in Islamabad – the local leadership does not seem to have the party’s best interests at heart.

“Local leaders are making a huge mistake, which will eventually lead to history repeating itself in all major UCs falling under NA-48, which we lost to the PTI in 2013,” said veteran PML-N worker Dr Saeedullah Khan.

He accuses Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, the PML-N MNA from NA-49, of compromising on party interests to further this own.

“[He is] accommodating Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) candidates merely to advance his real estate business,” Dr Saeed alleged.

Like the disgruntled party organiser, several other PML-N workers have similar stories to tell: that they were asked by Tariq Fazal Chaudhry to forgo the seat of UC chairman in favour of JI candidates.

Local leaders at odds with NA-49 MNA’s strategy; call seat adjustment with Jamaat ‘unnecessary’

“I was announced as the PML-N candidate for chairman UC-42 (I-10) and our workers begun the campaign with full enthusiasm,” Dr Saeed said, adding, “But a few days ago, I was told that it was possible that the local JI man will be chairman and I will be vice chairman”. He was referring to Mohammad Kashif, the leader of a Jamaat-affiliated group of traders.

Of the 50 UCs in the federal capital, 23 lie within the confines of NA-48, while 27 are located in NA-49.

PML-N workers allege that Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhary has been trying to facilitate Khalid Bhatti, a JI leader who happens to be his partner in the real estate business.

“We are being told that Khalid Bhatti will be the chairman of UC-28 under the banner of his party, while I will be vice chairman under the symbol of the sher (tiger),” said PML-N Youth Wing President Malik Pervaiz.

“I was originally announced as the party candidate for the slot of chairman in UC-28 and we had even started canvassing,” he said.

It’s the same story with Atif Jamil Butt, the party’s candidate for chairman in UC-29 – which consists of sectors F-10 and F-11 – who has criticised the revised decision that he should run for the vice chairman slot.

“Party chief Mian Nawaz Sharif has given no such directive that we should leave the battleground and accommodate Jamaat candidates,” he said, adding that there were no technical grounds for the PML-N to even consider an electoral alliance with the JI.

“Not only is the Jamaat in an alliance with PTI in KP and Sindh, in the 2013 by-elections in Islamabad, the JI candidate could bag only 120 votes from eight polling stations in F-10 and F-11,” Mr Butt claimed.

Party workers fear that local leaders were headed towards a repeat of what happened in the NA-48 by-election in 2013, when differences between groups supporting Ashraf Gujjar and former MNA Anjum Aqeel cost them the election. Ajmal Baloch, a local leader from the traders community, was also vying to be the party candidate from the constituency that year.

Since Anjum Aqeel is not politically active these days owing to ill health, both Ashraf Gujjar and Ajmal Baloch have also decided to stay away from the UC elections.

“The situation is becoming chaotic, so I think it’s better to stay out,” said Ajmal Baloch, who had earlier decided to contest elections for slot of UC chairman from G-7.

Mr Aqeel, however, acknowledged that there had been talks with the local JI leadership over the possibility of seat adjustments in areas lying under NA-48 and NA-49.

“The idea is that we give some slots to them in NA-48 and they will withdraw in favour of our candidates in NA-49,” he said. He also conceded that party workers were not happy, but “I have told them to stay calm as doctor sahib (Tariq Fazal Chaudhry) has made this commitment.”

PML-N MNA Dr Tariq Fazal Chaudhry did not respond to repeated queries. A JI leader denied that there was a party-level agreement with the PML-N, but said that some candidates were making seat adjustments of their own accord.

Published in Dawn, November 9th, 2015

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