G-B governor’s son awarded PML-N ticket

By-election will be held in Hunza on May 28

GILGIT: The head of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) on Thursday awarded the son of Gilgit-Baltistan Governor Mir Ghazanfar Ali Khan a party ticket for the by-elections in GBLA-6 constituency, ignoring the advice of local party leaders.

The decision was made on account of the close ties between the governor and Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The only time the ties between the two families seemed under stress was when Pervez Musharraf overthrew the Nawaz-led government and installed Mir Ghazanfar the CM of the region for five years.

According to insiders, members of a committee formed by the regional PML-N leadership recently surveyed the constituency and submitted their recommendations to the party’s head --Nawaz Sharif – before the finalisation of the decision of awarding the party ticket.

“Salim Khan wasn’t anywhere on top of the list in view of in-depth surveys conducted in Hunza,” said an insider privy to the details of the survey.

“Col (retd) Obaid topped the list, but the governor took advantage of his personal ties with Nawaz Sharif and obtained a ticket for his son,” the insider told The Express Tribune on Thursday.

The PML-N regional head, Hafeezur Rehman, who is also the chief minister, recently formed a committee to hold talks with stakeholders in Hunza in an attempt to judge the popularity of potential candidates. The by-election for GBLA-6 will be held in Hunza on May 28.

According to another insider, candidates aspiring to contest the election on a PML-N ticket had earlier agreed to accept the survey results and pledged to quit the race in favour of the candidate who got maximum support. “But that pledge isn’t valid now.”

A veteran PML-N leader from Hunza Amin Sher became the first person to revolt. Sher, a potential party nominee who stood third according to survey results.

Similarly, the response from other aspirants is yet to materialise but it is believed they are also planning to resist Nawaz Sharif’s decision that ultimately strengthened the cause for hereditary politics.

The spouse of Mir Ghazanfar is also a lawmaker elected on a special seat for women.

Talking to The Express Tribune, Deputy Speaker Jafarullah Khan said Nawaz Sharif, as the head of the party, had powers to award the party ticket to whomsoever he wanted. Salim Khan is facing a bank loan default case in court and  is likely to face stiff resistance from another contestant, Baba Jan.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 6^th, 2016.