SWABI: Awami National Party (ANP) district president Ameer Rehman has emerged as the frontrunner in the Swabi district nazim elections. Local ANP leaders insist Ameer Rehman is likely to be a consensus candidate of the party for the district nazim slot.

According to them, though Ameer Rehman didn’t contest the May 30 local body elections, the party leadership fielded him for the election of the district council seat reserved for peasant.

He could easily enter the district council due to the party’s majority in elections and thus, becoming eligible to contest for the district nazim slot.

“We knew all constitutional requirements and fulfilled them for Ameer Rehman’s elections,” said an ANP leader.

The ANP leaders said after his father, Haji Rehmanullah, passed away on May 15, both party leadership and activists supported Ameer for the district nazim elections and later he was named for the slot. ANP candidate Jehanzeb Khan was defeated by late Sherzaman Sher in the first district nazim elections in August 2001.

However, Sherzaman was disqualified by the election tribunal for submitting fake matriculation certificate to the Election Commission of Pakistan.

As a result, Jehanzeb became district nazim for few months.

Again in 2005, Ameer Rehman’s uncle, Amanullah Khan, was defeated by senior minister Shahram Khan Tarakai. Tarakai family later swept two general elections but suffered a major defeat in the May 30 local government elections.

As elected members of the district council will elect district nazim from among themselves, Ameer appears to be in a strong position to win the district nazim elections. “The election procedure suits ANP. We’re set to form the next district government after winning majority in the district council,” said former ANP information secretary Mohammad Rashid advocate.

He said the support of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl could further strengthen the ANP position.

The third largest party in the district is Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz with six council members. It has no interest in contesting for the district nazim slot.

ANP leaders Awwal Sher Khan and Shahryar Khan said they would meet very soon to name candidate for the district nazim slot.

Ameer Rehman said he would accept the party’s decision on the nomination for the district nazim elections.

TEHSIL GOVERNMENTS: The ruling PTI bagged majority of councilor seats in Topi tehsil during the May 30 local body elections.

Mohammad Yunas, who was elected tehsil councilor from Topi east, said his party’s candidates had become councilors from Batakara, Kotha, Zarobai, Diwal and Manini union councils.

He said two JUI-F tehsil councilors had expressed readiness to support PTI taking his party’s strength in the house of 11 to eight and that other members were independents.

ANP has given a green light to JUI-F for the formation of tehsil government in Chota Lahor saying it will extend unconditional support to its coalition partner in the upcoming elections.

In the elections for 11 tehsil councilors, ANP and JUI-F won two seats each, PTI and independents three each and AJIP one.

JUI-F district chief Maulana Attaul Haq said independent candidates were expected to join his party after consultation with their workers and that PML-N, too, was willing to support them.

As for Chota Lahor, there are 11 tehsil councilors.

Published in Dawn, June 3rd, 2015

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