ABBOTTABAD: A group consisting of the PTI old guards strongly feels the party leadership will name candidates for the offices of district and tehsil nazims and naib nazims in Abbottabad from among them.

A member of the group told Dawn on Saturday 17 councillors-elect had supported old PTI guards in the respective tehsil and councils for top offices due to their sacrifices for the party over the years.

He said the group would meet today (Tuesday) to discuss strategy in case its members were not named for the sought-after offices. The member claimed all those elected councillors on special seats had also shown support for the group.

He said he was confident that the group would get their members elected to top offices of district and tehsil governments in Abbottabad.

During the recent local body elections, PTI secured majority to form district government in Abbottabad.

It is likely to install own governments in Abbottabad and Havelian tehsils with the help of likeminded parties, including Jamaat-i-Islami.

Though the Election Commission of Pakistan has ordered re-polling in seven of the total 51 union councils of Abbottabad, PTI continues to be in a strong position to form local governments. However, internal differences over nomination for the district nazim office have upset the PTI leadership.

According to the district returning officer, PTI has 24 seats in Abbottabad district, followed by PML-N with 18 seats, JI and PPP with one each. The poll results of seven seats have been withheld, while re-polling has been ordered at 17 polling stations.

In Abbottabad tehsil, election results in six of the total 31 union councils have been withheld. As for the rest, PML-N has won elections in 14 councils, PTI 12, JI five and Pakistan Rah-i-Haq Party one.

In Havelian tehsil, PTI leads the election results with six of the total 13 seats in tehsil council, followed by PML-N with five seats and independents one. The results of polls on one union council is withheld.

For the top slot of Abbottabad district council, Ali Khan Jadoon of PTI has emerged as the frontrunner.

However, Sardar Sher Bahadar is also in the running.

Bahadar, the former PTI district president, had won elections as independent candidate by defeating PTI nominee, the brother-in-law of information minister Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani. He later re-joined the party.

Ali Khan Jadoon favoured by Abbottabad MPAs and two ministers has brought three of the six independents to PTI.

Published in Dawn, June 30th, 2015

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