MARDAN: Provincial Minister for Elementary and Secondary Education Mohammad Atif Khan has claimed that the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is in a position to form governments in the district council and three tehsil councils of Mardan.

The minister expressed these views while addressing a press conference here on Friday. MNA Mujahid Khan, MPA Zahid Khan Durani, PTI’s district councillors-elect and party activists were also in attendance.

On the occasion, independent district member of Gumbat union council Ishfaq Khan, tehsil member of Hoti union council Mehmand Khan, tehsil member of Baghdada union council Ishfaq Lodhi besides ex-union council nazim Hamayun Khilgi and Kakay Khan announced to join PTI.

Minister Atif Khan said that the success of PTI candidates in the local government elections reflected on the ‘true leadership’ of Imran Khan and ‘people-friendly’ policies by the provincial government.

He claimed that people had once again expressed their confidence in the PTI and rejected the Awami National Party. “We are in contact with other political parties to form governments in the district and its three tehsils -- Mardan, Takhtbai and Katlang,” he said, adding that other political parties would get their share in the district and tehsil governments as per the strength of their candidates. He further said that Jamaat-i-Islami emir Sarajul Haq and Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had held several rounds of talks in this connection.

However, Atif Khan said that there was no last word in politics, and that they even were in contact with opposition parties regarding formation of district and tehsil governments.

“We will prefer to sit on opposition benches wherever we lack majority to give tough time to the winning parties,” he said.

Meanwhile, losing Candidates of Bijligar union council on Friday demanded of the authorities concerned to order re-polling in the area as they claimed that they were given results by relevant returning officers of six polling stations where not even a single vote was cast owing to non-availability of polling staff.

Talking to mediapersons Arshad Khan of ANP alleged that on the election day he caught a person casting fake votes and handed him over to police officials, but no action was taken against him.

He said that another person was also held red handed while casting votes for PTI candidates and was handed over to police, but no action was taken against him as well.

Published in Dawn, June 6th, 2015

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