Setback to PML-N as Rana Nazir, son join PTI

LAHORE : The PML-N suffered another setback in district Gujranwala on Thursday after veteran politician Rana Nazir Ahmed, his son Umer Nazir and their group joined the PTI.

Rana Nazir and his son Ran Umer Nazir, who is also sitting MNA from NA-99, Kamonki, Gujranwala, called on PTI Chairman Imran Khan at Banigala, and vowed allegiance to their new leader.

Already, another sitting MPA of PML-N from the same district, Mian Tariq, has also joined the PTI and this latest development on Thursday can certainly change political dynamics of Gujranwala in upcoming elections.

Rana Nazir Ahmed, once considered amongst the top five closest figures to Nawaz Sharif, started his political career with local government elections of 1979 and by 1983. He was also the Vice Chairman of the district council and a part of provincial Majlis-e-Shoora.

In 1985 elections held on non party basis, he was elected as MNA and won in 1990, 1997 polls and suffered defeat in 1993.

In the 1988 general elections, Rana Nazir as the candidate of Islami Jamhuri Ittehad won from the then NA-78, Gujranwala while bagging around 55,000 votes against PPP candidate Mehdi Hassan who got 3,038 votes. In 1990, in a one-on-one contest, Rana Umer Nazir emerged victorious against PPP’s Abdullah Virk while getting 6,583 votes. Abdullah Virk, the PPP ticket holder got 59139 votes in that contest.

In the 1993 general elections from the same seat, it was PPP’s Abdullah Virk who emerged victorious from this seat and got 63,854 votes whereas Rana Nazir as the candidate of PML-N suffered first defeat in his career and stood at number two with 52,093 votes. In that election, Rana Saghir, brother of Rana Nazir, also contested as independent candidate and got 2956 votes. The Jamaat-e-Islami candidate Ubaidur Rehman Madni in that contest got 3,526 votes.

In 1997 elections, Rana Nazir Ahmed Khan once again won on PML-N ticket from NA-78 while getting 69,009 votes and the PPP candidate Abdullah Virk stood number two with 21,847 votes.

After the October 12, 1999 incident, Rana Nazir was nabbed by the National Accountability Bureau over corruption charges and remained in captivity for three years. After his release, he joined PML-Q and pitched his son Rana Umer Nazir from NA-99 which he won while getting around 62, 000 votes against PPP’s Abdullah Virk.

After the return of Sharifs to Pakistan in late 2007, Rana Nazir was back in the PML-N fold and contested the 2008 elections on PML-N ticket which he won again. In 2013 general elections, his son Rana Umer Nazir contested on PML-N ticket and emerged victorious. Talking to The News, Rana Nazir Ahmed said at present PTI seemed the only party where workers, not family members, were handling the party affairs. He said he remained a Muslim League worker between 1979 to 2018 in which he sided with Nawaz Sharif in 80s when Muslim League was led by Pir Pagar and later by Muhammad Khan Junejo. He said he was amongst the founder members of PML-N in 1993 and was amongst those who faced arrest in the era of Pervez Musharraf.

Rana Nazir stated that he seemed greatly disturbed to see how people, who were the founding members of the party, were being treated now.