KOHAT: In an interesting move on Monday, the PML-N decided to join the tripartite party alliance of ANP, PPP and JUI-F to give tough time to the ruling PTI in the upcoming local government elections in the district.

The decision was made at a party jirga here. Gohar Saifullah Khan and Qari Fateh Mohammad of JUI-F, Tariq Khattak of ANP, Malik Iqbal and Fareed advocate of PPP were also in attendance.

According to political observers, the four-party alliance was expected to win the important slots of tehsil and district council nazims, naib nazims and councillors.

However, a consensus was yet to be reached on fielding a joint candidate for the all important slots of district nazim and naib nazim.

It is to mention here that only two PTI women have filed their nomination papers for taking part in the coming LB polls in the district despite the party’s claim to have large number of women in its ranks compared to other political parties.

Similarly, only one woman from the four-party alliance, Sara Aziz, has applied for the district councillor seat in urban 5, while Zen Rehman of Muhammadzai would contest as independent candidate for tehsil council ward-II.

Meanwhile, observers say Jamaat-i-Islami is not likely to have any impact in the local government polls as it has decided to go solo and not have any alliance with any party.

Meanwhile, the Kohat division Election Commission official, Nauman Khan, told Dawn that the upcoming LG polls would be different from the previous ones as the candidate who received the largest number of votes in his union council would automatically become nazim and the runner-up would be made naib nazim.

On the other hand, JUI-S also announced on Monday to join the alliance, its local president Fazal Ahmed confirmed to Dawn.

BLACK DAY: The all employees association of tehsil municipal administration on Monday observed black day to

protest non-acceptance of their demands, including service structure and upgradation, by the local government department.

Speaking at a meeting of TMA employees on the occasion, the association’s senior member Haji Mohammad Sohail said the government had promised last year to approve their demands, but had backtracked on its word.

He said the chief municipal officer was sitting on the file containing workers’ demands, which included service structure, implementation of son quota, assurance of timely imbursement of salary and pension and upgradation of workers from grade 1 to grade 16.

He said that 202 municipal workers were seeking regularisation.

He warned that if their demands were not accepted by May 1, they would hold a sit-in outside the local government office in Peshawar.

Published in Dawn, April 14th, 2015

On a mobile phone? Get the Dawn Mobile App: Apple Store | Google Play