GUJRAT: The Punjab government has included three each non-elected political figures from the PML-N and PPP in the Gujrat District Coordination Committee (DCC) in addition to PML-Q lawmakers from the district.

Former PML-N MPA Nawabzada Haider Mehdi and former Kharian Tehsil nazim Nadeem Asghar Kaira of the PPP are new entrants to the body.

Two MNAs and seven MPAs of PML-Q belonging to Gujrat district, including federal minister Chaudhary Salik Hussain, his brother and Punjab minister Chaudhary Shafay Hussain and their cousin MNA Chaudhary Hussain Elahi are also members of the DCC.

However, the name of MNA Chaudhary Muhammad Ilyas who was elected as a PTI- backed independent candidate in Feb 2024 polls but later joined the PML-Q, is not among the just notified members of the DCC.

The PML-N former MNA Abid Raza Kotla who lost the last elections at the hands of Mr Ilyas, however, got a place in the DCC.

According to a notification issued by Services and General Administration department (S&GAD) dated Sept 11 2026, the Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz Sharif is pleased to reconstitute the DCC with revised TORs (terms of reference) for Gujrat and create synergy among various government departments at the district level.

Official sources said that the inclusion of PPP’s Nadeem Asghar Kaira into Gujrat DCC is the outcome of a recently held meeting of high level coordination committee of the ruling PML-N and PPP at Governor House Lahore last week. The two times former Kharian Tehsil Nazim as well as a former chairman of Lalamusa Municipal Committee Nadeem Kaira is the first cousin of PPP stalwart Qamar Zaman Kaira.

Nadeem Kaira had contested the 2024 general elections as a PPP nominee from PP 33 (Lalamusa) and lost to PML-Q’s Syed Madad Ali Shah.

Similarly, ex MPA Nawabzada Haider Mehdi also swung a surprise with his entry into the DCC since the rival PML-Q lawmakers from Gujrat previously enjoyed dominance in Gujrat DCC.

According to official sources, Gujrat is considered one of the highly polarised districts in Punjab throwing challenges to the officers of district administration and with the inclusion of PML-N and PPP figures in the DCC might create an opportunity to discuss and sort out differences between the coalition partners.

The deputy commissioner, district police officer and district heads of all the provincial and federal government departments are also members of the DCC.

Published in Dawn, September 15th, 2026