MARDAN, Oct 7: Pakistan Peoples’ Party (Hoti) group leader Khwaja Mohammad Khan Hoti has claimed that the elected nazim of Mardan tehsil belonged to the Hoti group and not to the Khushal Pakistan group and Gul Nawaz Khan was a nominee for the district nazim of Khushal Pakistan group.

Advocate Himayatullah Mayar and Nawaz Tahir, nominees of the Watan Dost, Al-Khidamt and Watan Nawaz groups, were elected district nazim and tehsil nazim for Takhtbai, respectively, while their third nominee Iqbal Khan for Mardan tehsil was defeated by Ihsan Bacha by three votes.

Gulnawaz Khan and Ihsan Bacha contested for district and tehsil Mardan tehsil nazims, respectively, from the platform of the Khushal Pakistan, Hoti and Markazi Tanzeem Tajiran groups but Ihsan Bacha claimed that he was an independent candidate.

Talking to this correspondent, he said that Khushal Pakistan and the Hoti group both supported him in the election but he had contested independently. He bagged 188 votes while his closest rival Iqbal Khan of the tripartite alliance received 185 votes.

Mr Bacha is a medicine dealer and has a huge business in Mardan and in Peshawar. A large number of people, including representatives of business community, visited his residence and congratulated him on his victory.