UPPER DIR: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, Upper Dir, announced on Friday to withdraw its candidate in favour of Jamaat-i-Islami candidate in PK-93, Wari Upper Dir-III.

The announcement was made during a press conference in Dir in the presence of local leaders of both the parties, including Sajjad Fayaz, Imran Saeed, Malik Diar and Mohammad Nawaz of PTI, and JI district chief Sahibzada Fasihullah, its candidate Malik Azam Khan, Malik Hayat and others. The by-election in the constituency will be held on Sept 15.

After a brief meeting between the two parties in the election office’s room, they announced that they had agreed to strengthen their alliance in the province.

Mr Fayaz said that on the directives of Chief Minister Pervez Khattak and party’s central leadership the PTI, Upper Dir, was withdrawing its candidate in favour of JI. He said that the two parties would jointly run the election campaign. He said that they would ask the PTI workers to vote for the JI candidate on Sept 15.

He said that all the PTI candidates, who had filed nomination papers, would formally withdraw candidature on Saturday (today).

Mr Fasihullah said that JI respected the PTI decision and support that they had given to JI in the by-election. He also thanked the chief minister and PTI central leadership for taking such a brave step.

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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