in the last phase of the local bodies' election in Punjab, Colonel Mubashar Javed (Retd) of the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) was elected unopposed as Lahore Lord Mayor on Saturday. Wasim Qadir of the PML-N withdrew his nomination papers in favour of Colonel Mubashar Javed (Retd). Independent candidates were elected chairmen from two union councils, out of total 274 UCs of the city. The PPP and PML-Q won each seat while the PTI won from 10 UCs. The name of Mubashar Javed was nominated by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz leadership had revealed that Khawaja Ahmad Hassan, Rabia Farooqi, Colonel Tahir Kardar(Retd) and Arif Hameed Butt were also contesting elections for the same slot. However, their names were withdrawn by the party leadership after some leaders expressed concerns in the party's Punjab chapter meeting. The PM, along with senior members of the party, interviewed prospective candidates and nominated Mubashar Javed, who was elected on a reserved seat for technocrat, for the slot of mayor of Lahore.
A senior party leader, requesting anonymity, told that Mubashar Javed established good terms with the party's senior leadership in 1999 and formally joined the PML-N after his retirement. In the meanwhile, he got an opportunity to establish good relations with MNA Hamza Shahbaz Sharif who actually recommended his name for the slot of mayor. Kahwaja Ahmad Hassan's name, who was earlier considered a potential candidate of this slot, was turned down because he already has a lot of responsibilities regarding Orange Train project and Lahore Waste Management Company.