GUJRAT: The Nawabzada group of the PML-N has formally kicked off its election campaign by organising a supporters’ gathering at the farm house of the family head, Nawabzada Ghazanfar Ali Gul, near Qadir Colony here on Tuesday.

Though the PML-N has yet to announce its nominees, allthe party ticket aspirants from NA-63 (Jalalpur Jattan-Tanda), PP-29 (Tanda-Karianwala) and PP-30 (Jalalpur Jattan) showed unity by attending the gathering hosted by Mr Gul.

Addressing the gathering, Ex-MNA and former party ticket holder Mr Gul, who is the lone aspirant for the ticket from NA-63, ex MPA Nawabzada Haider Mehdi and Walyatullah Awais Doyian from PP-29, as well as Moin Nawaz Warraich and Ali Warraich Kula Chor, both ticket aspirants from PP-30, pledged to jointly fight against the rival PML-Q candidates in all three constituencies and vowed to forget all their mutual differences for the sake of PML-N’s victory.

The Nawabzada family, the oldest political dynasty of Gujrat, and Chaudharys of PML-Q, have been the arch political rivals in the area for almost last five decades.

Mr Gul said his family had been serving the people of the area for more than a century, adding that Nawab Sir Fazal Ali’s next generations would always be committed to save the people from “oppressors” and “corrupt mafias”.

He said the nation again needed Nawaz Shairf as premier to steer the country out of the prevailing crises since it had been plundered by an “incompetent and inefficient gang” during the PTI rule. Ex-MPA Mehdi accused the rival PML-Q leadership of looting and plundering development funds through receiving kickbacks and switching loyalties to avoid corruption cases.

Gujrat PML-N president Tahirul Mulk claimed that the PML-N candidates would sweep the elections in the whole district.

The speakers vowed to strive for the victory of the Nawabzada group’s candidates in NA-63 and both provincial assembly seats.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2024