PESHAWAR, Aug 28: Haji Ghulam Ali, nominated by Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) for the post of city district nazim, has claimed to have backing of the 60 per cent of the nazims and councillors-elect.
Addressing a press conference, he said that Jamaat-i-Islami’s support for his ANP-backed rival Haroon Bilour would not affect the outcome.
In reply to a question, he said that although the JI had won majority of seats yet it had surrendered to the ANP by supporting its candidate instead of fielding its own candidate.
“With our (MMA’s) government at the provincial level I am best suited for the post,” he said.
According to the agreement reached between the JUI-F and PPPP, candidates for the posts of nazims Peshawar Town-1, 2 and 3 would be from the latter. The nazim for Town 4 Peshawar will be from the JUI-F. If the candidate for nazim is from one party, the nominee for naib nazim will be from the other.
Ayub Shah of the PPPP and Zarawer Khan of the PPP (Sherpao) also spoke on the occasion.
ANP-JI COOPERATION: Jamaat-i-Islami chief Qazi Hussain Ahmad said on Sunday that his party and the Awami National Party would work together for the wellbeing of the people of the provincial capital.
Speaking at a gathering of councillors-elect at Al Markaz-i-Islami, he expressed the hope that both the groups would accommodate each other and fulfil their new responsibilities.
The Al Khidmat group and the Watan Dost group have struck a deal to form a joint government in the district.
“I am sure the alliance will work for the development of the district in the parameters of Islam and the ideology of Pakistan,” the JI chief said.
He said the councillors of both the groups would honour the agreement and safeguard the rights of the people of Peshawar.
He reiterated that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal would remain intact and the government would never succeed in breaking it. He said the government had held the local government elections on non-party basis to create divisions among the masses.
He said the federal government wanted to bring in people of its liking through rigging while the MMA wanted to change the system through free and fair elections.
He accused the federal government of promoting Western culture and immorality in the society. He said the United States was setting up an art academy to motivate people to adopt un-Islamic values.
