SWABI: Local leaders of both the Awami National Party and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf said here on Sunday that they would fight for the coveted slot of district nazim with complete strength in the election scheduled to be held here on Monday (today).

The district nazim’s slot had fallen vacant when former district nazim and ANP district president, Ameer Rehman, had tendered resignation before submission of his nomination papers to contest election from PK-47, Swabi-V.

In the local government election held in 2015, ANP had won majority seats and despite the struggle of Asad Qaiser, former speaker of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, PTI was forced to sit on the opposition benches in the district assembly, which has total 84 members.

ANP has an upper hand due its majority in the district assembly and support of some other parties, but the PTI leaders said that the undecided members were now inclined towards them and they would give tough time to the ANP candidate.

The July 25 general elections were swept by the PTI candidates in the district while candidates of all other political parties, including ANP, lagged far behind in the one-sided contest.

Hassan Khan, ANP candidate for the district nazim slot, said that his party and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl alliance was still intact and the two parties had majority of seats. He said that they also enjoyed the support of the political parties who were part of the Swabi Democratic Alliance.

The ANP leaders said that they remained in constant contact with members of other parties and showed optimism that they would support their party candidate for nazim seat.

Published in Dawn, August 6th, 2018