Its all about control of Faisalabad. Being relative of Sharif family, Chaudhry Sher Ali and his family takes it for granted that all the political seats of Faisalabad region would be distributed according to their will. They want absolute control over political decisions in that region. Chaudhry Sher Ali and his sons have enjoyed lots of ministries and other designations from the PML-N especially as Begum Kulsoom Nawaz, wife of PM Nawaz, is their relative. Abid Sher Ali is still minister of state for water and power and is quite influential in the party. His party ticket is confirmed in the future too. The other very powerful PML-N group in Faisalabad belongs to Rana Sanaullah, the current provincial minister of law. He isn’t relative of any of Sharifs, but is a loyal political worker who has stoodfast in every thick and thin with the party and its leadership. He was brutally tortured during Musharraf era but he didn’t leave the party. Rana Sana is believed to be an integral peg of Shahbaz Sharif’s administration in Punjab.
That is why, during London Plan conspiracy of Imran-Qadri-Establishment they first targeted Rana Sana through Model Town violence. Rana Sanaullah’s performance is commendable in maintaining law and order in this most populous province despite of the fact that rest of Pakistan kept burning in fires of terrorism. Rana Sana’s emergence and then dominance in local Faisalabad politics is gradual and totally on merit unlike nepotism enjoyed by Sher Ali family. That is why overwhelming majority of PML-N workers and voters are on the side of Rana Sana. Fight between Rana and Sher Ali is not new and it was also this intense in all past elections. It never has dampened the PML-N dominance over there and it’s unlikely to harm them significantly in future. The current outburst of Chaudhry Sher Ali is because local bodies elections are around the corner and he wants to make his son as mayor of Faisalabad. He clearly sees that his group is very weak and people are on the side of Rana Sana. That is why he is lashing out at Rana Sana in desperation and frustration. In terms of votes and retaining their political power, PML-N won’t have issues but its not good for the reputation of the party and especially for the leadership of Nawaz Sharif. He must intervene and at least put the matter out of media limelight.