GUJRAT: In a major development in the local political scenario, the head of his own faction of Kotla group and a former adviser to the Punjab chief minister Naeem Raza Kotla called on PML-Q President Chaudhry Shujaat Hussain.

The meeting was held at Q chief’s Lahore residence on Sunday the last, where Shujaat’s sons Chaudhry Shafay Hussain and Federal Minister Chaudhry Salik Hussain were also present.

Naeem Raza, the elder brother of PML-N MNA Abid Raza Kotla, has been associated with the PML-Q for the last two decades. Both brothers had parted ways during the 2008 general elections over political differences. Four Kotla brothers led by Abid Raza had joined the PML-N, while Naeem and Shahid Raza, a former union council chairman of Kotla, remained in the PML-Q.

However, it was Naeem Raza Kotla whose Kotla group had actually resisted the inauguration of the Kotla Civil Hospital by Musa Elahi and later on Abid Raza group also joined in and allegedly pelted the venue with stones.

Though Naeem Raza had announced to end all kind of differences with his brothers, the issues still persisted between the two factions.

Naeem Raza told Dawn that he would contest on Punjab Assembly seat from Kotla come what may. His younger brother Shabeer Kotla of the PML-N has been contesting from the constituency. He won in 2013 general elections, but lost 2018 polls by a close margin.

Mr Raza had earlier contested as an independent candidate in 1997 general elections and in 2002 when he could not contest due to graduation bar, he had fielded his nominee Amir Usman, who had won as a PPP candidate, but later they joined the PML-Q soon after elections and in 2008 Abid Raza’s nominee Arfanuddin won and they joined the PML-N.

Haveli Abdul Malik, the family residence of Kotla brothers, has been in the control of MNA Abid Raza group, whereas Naeem Raza and his brother would live in another house.

Naeem Kotla said he had a great respect for the PML-Q chief that was why he had gone to meet him in Lahore and discussed the political situation in Gujrat district, whereas the federal minister Salik Hussain had also been in contact with him.

On the other hand, MNA Abid Raza had earlier conveyed his reservations about the “dominance” of Shujaat’s sons in the administrative affairs of Gujrat to the Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif.

Sources say the N leadership told Mr Kotla that the support of three MNAs of Q league had been vital to the survival of PM Shehbaz’s government in the Centre, so the party could not be ignored at the moment.

The Chaudhrys and Kotla brothers’ groups had developed differences over selection of candidates in different constituencies, whereas the rival Nawabzada family of ex-MNA Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gull had recently resolved their internal differences in January the last and announced its candidates for the next general elections.

Published in Dawn, February 14th, 2023