SWABI: The Awami National Party is likely to form local governments in the district and three of its four tehsils.

According to party leaders, the ANP, which didn’t have single elected representative from the district before the local government elections on May 30, would likely to have its man as the head of the district government and coveted posts in Razaar, Chota Lahor and Swabi tehsils.

It is learnt that ANP-led seven party ‘Swabi Democratic Alliance’ (SDA) has decided to give ANP district nazim slot. ANP has nominated Ameer Rehman for the post, who is ANP’s district president. The district naib nazim slot has been given to JUI-F, another allied party.

In Swabi tehsil, nazim slot is likely to go to JI and that of naib nazim to ANP. ANP’s Gohar Rehman has been nominated for the naib nazim.

PTI and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP), which claimed before the elections that they would form the next district government, now seem likely to sit on the opposition benches.

Masood Jabar, former provincial deputy general secretary of Qaumi Watan Party, told Dawn both the PTI and AJIP committed serious mistakes owing to which they lost the LG polls in Swabi.

JI district emir Saeedzada said they would finalise the party candidate for Swabi tehsil nazim soon. He said instead of going with PTI their leadership had forged alliance with ANP and other parties. JI is coalition partner of PTI in the provincial government.

In Chota Lahor, tehsil nazim would be from PML-N and the party has nominated Mohammad Faheem for the slot. ANP’s nominated candidate for the naib nazim slot in the tehsil is Asad Zaman Sher.

As ANP enjoys clear majority in Razaar tehsil both nazim and naib nazim slots would go to it. Ameer Rehman said the names of the two candidates were expected to be finalised within next three to four days.

The PTI, which is in position to form local government in Topi tehsil, has nominated Sohail Yousufzai, former district president, for the tehsil nazim post.

Meanwhile, as a show of strengthen the seven parties alliance has decided to hold a convention on Thursday at the residence of Ameer Rehman. Mohammad Rashid, district head of ANP’s information wing, said leaders and elected district and tehsil councillors would attend the convention.

Published in Dawn, August 12th, 2015

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