MANSEHRA, Feb 5: Jamaat-i-Islami has nominated its candidates for two National Assembly and five Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats in Mansehra district for coming general election.

Younus Khattak, JI district amir, announced the names of candidates at a press conference here on Tuesday. He said that as per the party’s central parliamentary board decision, those who would contest the coming general election on provincial assembly seats on JI ticket included Tariq Sherazi PK-53, Mohammad Ashraf PK-54, Khan Afzal PK-55, Khalid Khan PK-56 and Mohammad Siddiq PK-57. Younus Khattak said that he himself had been nominated for the National Assembly seat of NA-20 Mansehra-I, while former MNA Maulana Abdul Malik would contest the election for NA-21 Mansehra-II.

He said that the JI parliamentary board had finalised these names and in case of seat adjustment with other political parties, candidature of any of the nominated candidates could be withdrawn. However, he said that the JI would not make electoral alliance with any party, while any seat adjustment would be based on principals set by their party for the coming election.

Speaking on the occasion, Mr Sherazi said that the UN and the US should play their role for ending the sufferings of Muslims of Indian-held Kashmir.

BUILDING GUTTED: A three-storey building housing a general store and sweets shop was gutted in Mansehra city early on Tuesday.

Mohammad Shaukat, owner of the building, told media persons that the blaze started due to electricity short-circuit and engulfed the entire building. He said that all goods, including perfumes, sweets and other items, were reduced to ashes and they suffered an estimated Rs4 million loss.

Fire fighters and local people reached the spot and put out the blaze, preventing it from spreading to other adjoining shops.