BAHAWALPUR, Aug 30: MPA Dr Syed Waseem Akhtar, MMA deputy parliamentary leader in the Punjab Assembly, has announced joining the race for the slot of district nazim.

At a meeting of newly-elected nazims and councillors here on Tuesday, he said he was going to strike an electoral deal with the Sadiq Dost group, headed by Nawab Salahuddin Abbasi. He said for this purpose, talks had entered into a final phase.

He said if an agreement with the Sadiq Dost group was reached, he could be nominated for the slot of nazim. He claimed that over 150 union council nazims, naib nazims and councillors had been elected from his party i.e. Al-Khidmat of the Jamaat-i-Islami or the MMA group.

Earlier, Dr Waseem Akhtar had been bargaining with the Bahawalpur Ittehad for the city and tehsil nazim’s slots. Even now, there are likelihood that by showing his group’s strength of 150 councillors, he may succeed in striking a deal with the Ittehad.

Meanwhile, the Sadiq Dost group which has yet to nominate its candidate is expected to show its strength by the first week of September at the Sadiqgarh Palace.

A Sadiq Dost group source claimed that it had the support of some 100 councillors of Hasilpur tehsil. In this connection, a delegation of newly-elected councillors of UCs 37, 38, 44 and 49 called on Nawab and assured him of their support.

Nazims and naib nazims of three UCs announced their support for the Bahawalpur Ittehad on Monday.