SWABI: The Swabi Democratic Alliance (SDA), which heads the local government in Swabi, won’t be able to function smoothly as its relations with the provincial government will strain overtime for its drubbing of PTI in the local bodies polls in the district, predict political leaders and observers.

A coalition of seven parties including ANP and PPP, SDA was formed against the ruling PTI and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan (AJIP) to give them tough time in the May 30 local bodies polls.

The SDA was the brainchild of now district nazim Ameer Rehman who is also ANP’s district president.

The ANP contested the recently held local bodies’ elections from the platform of the tripartite alliance and won sufficient seats to form the district government.

However, after the formation of local government in the district, differences have emerged between provincial government and the SDA-led district government here, which might put future of the alliance at stake.

“I had predicted before the LG polls that if SDA-led alliance won local body elections, the provincial government would do its best to hinder functioning of the local government in Swabi,” claimed Mukhtiar Khan, a former adviser to the chief minister.

However, Ameer Rehman said they were making all out efforts to ensure that the seven parties’ alliance in the district remained intact. “Our utmost desire is that we should contest the next general elections from the SDA’s platform.”

Jehanzeb Khan, former district nazim, said the political chessboard in the district was now shared by several political players and that everyone focused on building their position for future elections.

Mohammad Jamil, former district naib nazim, said from the very first day the district government led by ANP and JUI-F had been in direct clash with the provincial government. “In such circumstances how the district government will be able to get the much needed development funds from the provincial government.”

Masood Jabar, former tehsil Swabi nazim, said Ameer Rehman needed political maturity to run the district government smoothly satisfying all members of the district assembly. “If he delivers, the seven parties’ alliance could become stronger,” he remarked.

Javid Inqilabi, PPP district president, said if the district government failed to meet people’s expectations his party would no longer support the district nazim.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2015

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