SWABI, Sept 9: The Swabi Jamhoori Ittehad (SJI) has nominated its candidates for the Swabi district, Swabi tehsil council and Chota Lahor tehsil council nazims’ posts. The SJI leaders had failed in their previous seven meetings to name their candidates, but on Friday they manage to reach an accord. The consensus candidates, according to SJI general-secretary Muqarab Khan, are: Shahram Khan (leader of Azad Group of nazims) for Swabi district, Najeem Khan (JUI -F) for Swabi tehsil council and Shamsher Khan for Chota Lahor tehsil council.

Shamsher Khan is brother of former district nazim, the late Sher Zaman Sher.

The SJI comprises PPPP, PML-Q, JUI-F, JI, JUI-S, and Azad Group of nazims. Three parties - Swabi Qaumi Mahaz, PPP(S) and Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf – had already parted ways with the SJI.

The SJI meeting was attended by the MNA of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), Maulana Khalil Ahmad, president of SJI, Muqarab Khan, PML-Q president Shamsher Khan, and leaders of Azad Group.

The anti-SJI alliance would contest with Awami National Party candidates Amanullah Khan, Hanif Jadoon and Shahroom Khan.

The SJI candidate for the district nazim’s slot, Shahram Khan, is the son of millionaire Liaqat Khan who runs a cigarette-making unit and other businesses.

The PML-N, which had been ignored by the Awami National Party in the nomination of candidates, joined the SJI without any condition. Now both the leagues - PML-N and PML-Q - are now part of the SJI.—Correspondent