December 29, 2005	Thursday	Ziqa’ad 26, 1426

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OKARA, Dec 28: Tamir-i-Watan group’s Syed Maratab Ali Kirmani, who was reportedly ‘kidnapped’ by police last evening, won Deepalpur tehsil naib nazim election by securing 53 votes against Shah Muqeem’s Mian Fakhar Masood Bodla who managed 24 only. Both Shah Muqeem and Tamir-i-Watan groups had an old political rivalry but reconciled at the time of district nazim election courtesy the Punjab chief minister. As a result Syed Asad Ali Gillani of the Shah Muqeem group was elected district nazim unopposed and in return Tamir-i-Watan’s Mian Khurram Jehangir Wattoo got Deepalpur tehsil nazimship. But for the naib nazim race, the field was open.

During the 80 days from nazim election, the political situation took a turn as a numbers of allies of the Shah Muqeem group, including MPAs Malik Nazar Farid Khokhar, Deewan Ikhlaq Ahmad and PML district president and former ZC chairman Mian Moeen Khan Wattoo joined hands with Mian Manzoor Ahmad Wattoo, Tameer-i-Watan chief.

Deepalpur tehsil nazim Mian Khurram Jehangir Wattoo told Dawn by phone that about 300 police personnel led by two DSPs encircled the residence of Syed Maratab Ali Shah Kirmani and forced him to sign some papers. “When Mr Kirmani refused, police took him away to some unidentified place and even after his success he was still missing,” he said.

For Okara tehsil, Muhammad Afzal Warriach stood elected unopposed after his opponent, Khalid Mehmood Javid Bhatti, announced retirement.

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