Sawami Nagar: Natural gas pressure the biggest issue

LAHORE: Union Council 127 has traditionally been the stronghold of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). The party’s Lahore president Pervaiz Malik was elected MNA from the constituency in the 2013 general elections. Of the 12,000 registered voters in the UC, 53 per cent are men and 47 per cent women. The constituency consists of Sawami Nagar, Wireless Colony, Shuja Colony, Tezab Ahata, the UET and Mehmoodbad.

Malik Amir Guddu, a PML-N candidate for chairman, is a real estate consultant. He was elected nazim in 2001 and Shalimar Town nazim in 2005. Humayun Ahsraf Ghumman, party’s candidate for vice chairman, is also a businessmen. He was elected councillor in 2001 and 2005. The two candidates see the provision of gas as the biggest challenge. They say “all other issues” have been resolved. Shahab Khan, a PTI candidate for chairman, is secretary to PTI leader Abdul Aleem Khan. He is in the run for the first time.

Wajid Shah, party’s candidate for vice chairman, is a teacher. He, too, is contesting for the first time.

The PTI candidates say they would work on ownership rights for the residents of katchi abadi. They say it is wrong to claim that all problems of people have been addressed. The say the PML-N has failed to deliver and the people are still deprived of safe drinking water, a clean environment and streetlights.  They say there is no gas in many areas although the government has spent millions of rupees for the purpose.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 31^st, 2015.