SWABI: Bitter rivals Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-F are likely to enter into an alliance to form local government in Chota Lahor tehsil here, sources in the parties told Dawn on Friday.

The current position of the political parties in Chota Lahor is: PTI has four tehsil councillors, JUI-F and PML-N two each and ANP three in the 29-member tehsil house, including five women councillors, and one each minority, youth and peasant councillor on reserved seats.

The sources said except JUI-F each political party was joined by an independent candidate who were promised to be given either the slot of tehsil nazim or deputy nazim.

The sources said if JUI-F and PTI succeeded to form a coalition government then the independents, who joined ANP and PML-N, would suffer.

ANP, PPP and JUI-F were partners in the May 30 local government elections, but late developments have created differences between JUI and ANP.

Four days back, when independent candidate Asad Zaman Sher joined ANP, the JUI-F leaders said they were kept in dark over the decision by their coalition partner.

The JUI leaders complained they were also not taken into confidence when ANP leadership negotiated with PML-N to form coalition government in Lahor tehsil. And these differences were exploited by the PTI local leaders.

They met JUI-F district chief Maulana Attaul Haq Darvaish and offered the party tehsil nazim slot.

At a meeting, sources said leaders of the two parties finalised all arrangements to establish the combined government in Chota Lahor.

When contacted, Mr Sohail, PTI elected tehsil councillor from Mathani Changan union council, said they had more members than JUI-F in Lahor tehsil, but their leadership shown flexibility and offered the tehsil nazim slot to JUI-F.

Maulana Darvaish said the decisions made at the PTI-JUI-F meeting had been sent to their respective leaderships for a final approval.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2015

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