SWABI: Former provincial minister Sitara Ayaz and former Swabi district general secretary of Awami National Party Islam Khan on Friday announced to support Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf candidate for the Swabi tehsil chairman’s election.

The announcement was made at a press conference here on Friday.

Attaullah Khan, a relative of National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser and MPA Aqibullah Khan, is contesting election for the chairman’s slot.

ANP had expelled Sitara Ayaz and Mr Islam in 2019 for violating the party’s constitution.

“We are honoured to have the support of two key political activists, which became possible after holding various meetings with them,” said Mr Attaullah.

Mr Islam said they had agreed to extend full support to the PTI man for the Swabi tehsil chairman’s slot.

Separately, about 200 local government election candidates, including 79 women, have returned unopposed on different categories of councillors’ seats, sources in the local election commission told Dawn on Friday.

The commission said as no one had filed nomination papers against these candidates so they were all declared winners unopposed.

The second highest number of the returned candidates was 57 youth councillors followed by 39 Kisan councillors, 21 general councillors and two minority councillors.

THIEF ARRESTED: A thief, who and had stolen Rs2.3 million cash and ornaments from his relative’s house, was arrested on Friday.

The Topi city police station registered FIR against the thief, identified as Mudassir Khan, after his arrest.

Topi DSP Pasham Gul said the accused wearing a burqa and assisted by another man had stolen cash and ornaments from his aunt’s house when the male members were away.

He said the police had recovered Rs2.2 million cash and jewellery from him.

Meanwhile, body of a 12-year-old boy was recovered from Pehur High Level Canal by a Rescue 122 team on Friday.

The boy had fallen into the canal near Mansoori police post. The body was handed over to his family living in Jaganat village.

Published in Dawn, December 4th, 2021