MANSEHRA, July 24: Pakistan Muslim League (PML-N) president Mian Nawaz Sharif has assured party leaders, including Pir Sabir Shah, during a recent meeting to keep his son-in-law Mohammad Safdar away from politics in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, sources privy to the meeting said.

They said that that a delegation of senior party leaders, including Sardar Mehtab Abbasi, Pir Sabir Shah and MPA Javed Abbasi, met Mr Sharif in Murree on Monday and apprised him of the aggressive speeches by Mr Safdar against party leaders and workers in public gatherings in Mansehra.

They told the party president that Mr Safdar had been levelling baseless allegations against the leaders and weakening party position in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, particularly in Hazara division.

“I would ask Mr Safdar to keep himself away from the politics of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the party interest,” Mr Sharif was quoted as telling the meeting.

Mr Sharif also said that whatever Mr Safdar said at Mansehra meetings was his own opinion, which had nothing to do with the party policy.

When contacted, Javed Abbasi confirmed the meeting, but said that only provincial president Sabir Shah could give its details. Mr Shah, however, could not be contacted on his phone despite repeated attempts.

Sources said that the same day Amir Muqam also separately met Mr Sharif in Murree.

Speaking at workers convention a few days ago Mr Safdar had alleged that Sabir Shah and Mehtab Abbasi were Mir Sadiq and Mir Jaffar of the party.

CONTRACTS: Communication and works department, Torghar, has allotted contracts for construction of 32 schools without fulfilling legal formalities, contractors say.

A group of contractors led by Gul Mohammad Khan and Jahanzab Khan told media persons here on Tuesday that under the chief minister’s development package the contracts of 32 schools were scheduled to be awarded on June 27 which were cancelled.

They said that later they came to know that the contracts were awarded to the blue-eyed contractors without fulfillment of the set criteria and legal formalities.

The contractors said that they had informed the secretary local government and other authorities about the illegal award of contracts.

They said that they were now planning to move court against the award of contracts in illegal way.