MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Pakistan Peoples Party on Friday agreed to form a coalition government in Mansehra district after the latter accepted the office of naib nazim in the future setup.

The agreement came in a meeting of the PTI team, led by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak, and PPP team, headed by its Hazara division president Shuja Salim Khan, in Peshawar.

“Yes, PPP has finally agreed to become part of the PTI-led government in the district and would assume the office of naib nazim in the district council,” local PTI leader Zargul Khan, who was also part of the talks, told mediapersons here on Friday. The PTI team also included its provincial president Fazal Khan and provincial minister Shah Farman.

Mr Zargul said that following marathon sessions the PPP, which had earlier been demanding the office of the district nazim, relinquished its stance and had accepted the office of naib nazim.

He said that four councillors of PTI were in the run to win the candidature for the top office of district nazim and in the end Shafahat Ali was chosen by the party’s parliamentary board. In view of the latest developments, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz is no more in a position to form its government in the district.

Agreement reached in a meeting attended by CM, PPP Hazara leaders

Insiders said that PPP could easily pick Shehryar Khan, the cousin of Shuja Salim, or Malik Farooq, the party’s district president, for naib nazim slot.

PML-N, which apparently is out of race for the top district slots, has been considering the names of Syed Akhtar Shah, former provincial minister, and Zafar Mehmood, the district president, for contesting election for the office of district nazim.

Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazal, which has already joined hands with PML-N before the current development, was seeking office of the naib nazim in case PML-N succeeded to form its government.

Jamaat-i-Islami has two councillors and Qaumi Watan Party four in the 88-member district council and both have already announced their support to PTI.

The councilors-elect of the district council, three tehsil councils and 184 village and neighbourhood councils would take oath of their offices today (Saturday). The oath-taking ceremonies would be held in Mansehra, Oghi and Balakot tehsils.

The district retuning officers and retuning officers would administer oath to the councillors. The elections for the district and three tehsils nazims and naib nazims would be held on Sunday (tomorrow).

Published in Dawn, August 29th, 2015

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