LAKKI MARWAT, Dec 3: Returning officer for PF-74 (Lakki Marwat-I) Rehmatullah Mehsud on Monday accepted nomination papers of former tehsil nazim of Serai Naurang Anwar Hayat Khan after rejecting objections raised by his rival candidate Malik Samiullah Khan.

Malik Samiullah, a former town nazim of Naurang and a candidate for PF-74, had challenged the nomination papers of Anwar Hayat on the grounds that he had ‘concealed details of his assets’.

Haji Mirza Ali Khan, advocate, represented Anwar Hayat during deliberations in the office of the returning officer while Faqeer Mehboob-ul-Hamid, advocate, appeared on behalf of Malik Samiullah.

After hearing the arguments of the two lawyers the returning officer rejected the objections to the papers of Anwar Hayat and allowed him to contest elections for PF-74 (Lakki Marwat-I).

Meanwhile, some prominent social and political figures of Wanda Amir, including Begukhel Union Council Deputy Nazim Haji Habibullah Khan, joined the influential Saifullah group, declaring that they would make all-out efforts for helping the Saifullah brothers win the polls with a heavy margin.

The announcement to this effect was made at a big public meeting held here on Monday. Speaking on the occasion, former federal minister Salim Saifullah Khan said the alliance at local level between the Saifullah brothers and the Anwar Kamal Marwat group would help each other win all national and provincial assembly seats concerned.

He claimed that the MMA-led government treated residents of the district shabbily as development funds were stopped and the uplift process was hindered at all levels. He said during the past couple of years he got millions of rupees sanctioned for the development schemes from the federal government.

He urged the people to elect honest and sincere candidates backed by their alliance so that the process of development could continue.