SWABI: As many as 33 candidates of different political parties and pressure groups have filed nomination papers for contesting the upcoming local government by-elections for 17 seats which had been vacated due to different reasons here in the district.

Officials in the district election commission said that the by-elections were scheduled to be held on Dec 30 and the process of filing nomination papers had been completed.

The 17 vacant seats include three of the district assembly, one of Swabi tehsil assembly, two of Topi tehsil assembly and 11 village council seats in different union councils.

The Chota Lahor UC seat and Kunda UC seat had fallen vacant after the death of Sabaz Ali and Sattar Ali, the two members of the district assembly, while Waris Khan, who won from Dagai UC, had resigned to contest the general election from PK-47, Swabi, on Awami National Party ticket.

Similarly, Usman Sher, Swabi tehsil assembly member, had vacated his seat and contested election from PK-44 on Jamaat-i-Islami ticket. The tehsil assembly members from UC Kalabat and UC Zarobi had also tendered resignation.

The seats of village councils had been vacated in Malikabad, Baja, Panjpir, Kala, Maini, Gandaf, Saleem Khan, Matani Changan, Tarakai, Kalu Khan and Ismalia.

Meanwhile, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MPA Rangaiz Khan claimed on Friday that his party candidates would sweep the by-election. Speaking at a gathering, he said that they could challenge the ANP and JUI-F alliance who dominated the district assembly since 2015.

APPOINTED: Pakistan Sports and Culture Federation has appointed Aamir Nawab as secretary finance.

Talking to this scribe here on Friday, Mr Nawab said that he had received notification of his appointment. He said that he had already worked in the field and knew how the sports and cultural activities could be strengthened in the country.

Published in Dawn, November 24th, 2018