LAHORE  - The PML-Q which is making efforts to gain ground in the local body polls is focusing on Pakistan Awami Tehreek (PAT) and Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) as its new political partners besides making adjustments with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and Sunni Ittehad Council (SIC).
Close aides of PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi told this correspondent on Wednesday that informal talks had been started with the PAT and JI leadership in this regard.
When asked about similar arrangements with other likeminded parties, they said informal parleys were also in the process with PTI and SIC. However, keeping in view committed and organised support base of PAT and JI in each district in the province, PML-Q is attaching great importance to these two parties to strike deal with them in the local polls.
They said PTI was desirous of taking solo flight in the local body elections in most parts of the province while SIC was an amalgam of several Sunni religious parties which the PML-Q leadership thought might have different plans for the polls.
However, they added talks would continue with PTI and SIC for forging local alliances in the areas where the three sides could benefit one another by defeating PML-N candidates.
PML-Q Punjab Senior Vice President Raja Basharat, when contacted, said, “No doubt, PAT and JI possess committed and organised support base in each district of the province, the three parties will strike deals for the mutual benefits. However, PML-Q at the same time will try to strike some reasonable deal with the SIC leadership which supported us in the 2013 general elections and with PTI that also needs partners despite its popularity.”
He claimed that PML-Q expertise, with the support of PAT, PTI, JI and SIC, could turn tables in the local body polls.
Meanwhile, the PML-Q Punjab chapter leadership, keeping in view the Election Commission’s announcement for the local polls, has decided to speed up its drive in the province. For this purpose, they have planned tours starting from November 17. The decision of marathon visits to all the 36 districts in the province in connection with local polls was taken during a meeting held at Muslim League House with PML-Q Punjab President Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi in the chair.
According to the party’s plan chalked out at the meeting, the leadership would visit Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Bahawalnagar, Sahiwal and Sialkot districts on November 17, 20, 23, 25 and 28, respectively.
The planned tours would also cover gaps in various wings of the party in the said districts and vacant positions would be filled during this campaign. The PML-Q leadership will fill vacant positions in its 10 wings – youth, women, lawyers, labour, kissan, doctors, ulema and mashaikh, minorities, traders – and the main body of the Punjab.
Pervaiz Elahi, addressing the meeting, said the performance of the present government showed that it wanted to eliminate the poor rather than poverty. He held the rulers responsible for the terrible increase in the prices of essential items, making it impossible for the poor and middle class to lead a respectable life.  He added suspension of gas supply for three months would render thousands of workers jobless while their families would suffer extreme financial problems. The PML-Q Punjab president appreciated the performance of various party wings, especially the lawyers’ wing that got its member elected as Supreme Court Bar Association secretary.
Prominent among the leaders who attended the meeting were Muhammad Basharat Raja, Chaudhary Zaheeruddin Khan, Nasir Mahmud Gill, Seemal Kamran, Dr Azeemuddin Lakhvi and Malik Faraz Awan.