BAHAWALPUR: There is hectic lobbying to secure PML-N tickets for the election of district council and municipal corporation (MC) as some of the aspirants have even undertaken the journey to Islamabad and Lahore to meet the party leaders.

Under the new Local Government (LG) Act, the existing city tehsil municipal administration (TMA) would be turned into municipal corporation.

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) has announced Dec 9 and 10 as the dates for filing the nomination papers for the slots of mayors of municipal corporations and chairmen of the district councils across the Punjab.

Dawn has learnt the PML-N leadership is considering the potential candidates’ names for the election. Chaudhry Muhammad Javed and Khalid Owaisi are aspiring for the PML-N ticket for chairmanship of the district council.

Javed, chairman of Union Council 108/DB, Yazman tehsil, enjoys the support of Senator Saud Majid Chaudhry while Khalid Owaisi, chairman of Union Council Khanqah Sharif, has relations with MNA Mian Najeebuddin Owaisi and MPA Shoaib Owaisi.

As Ch Javed and Khalid Owaisi are strong contenders for PML-N tickets and there could also be possibilities that both may be accommodated for the party tickets for the slots of chairman and vice chairman of the district council.

The PML-N is expected to gain a majority in the district council and the municipal corporation. Though the party is in a comfortable position to capture the slot of the mayor of municipal corporation, there are differences within the party over the nominations. Punjab Minister for Cooperatives Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar, who had managed to get his son Malik Muhammad Munir Channar elected on a reserved seat last month, is now aspiring for PML-N ticket for the same son for the slot of mayor.

Iqbal Channar is having a second stint as a provincial minister after remaining loyal to the PML-N during Gen Musharraf’s regime. Another PML-N group is trying to seek the ticket for Aqeel Najam Hashmi who was once a part of the media cell of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Syed Mueed Shah Bukhari is the third contender for party ticket for the office of mayor.

Dawn learnt the PML-N leadership may allot the party ticket for mayor either to Munir Channar or Aqeel Hashmi.

Published in Dawn December 8th, 2016