MANSEHRA: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, which couldn’t secure even a single seat of National Assembly and provincial assembly in upper parts of Hazara in general elections 2013, has succeeded to include the 28-member committee of Lower Kohistan into its folds.

The committee has its representation in National Assembly and provincial assembly with one member in each house.

PTI divisional president Zargul Khan told journalists here on Wednesday that it was a great achievement of his party. “We have managed to penetrate into the stronghold of JUI-F, Kohistan.

Time is not far when PTI would bag all seats of National Assembly and provincial assembly of Upper and Lower Kohistan,” he said.

The committee members, led by Maulana Abdul Karimdad, son of former JUI-F MNA Maulana Abdul Hakeem, held a meeting with Chief Minister Pervez Khattak in Peshawar the other day in the presence of MPA from Lower Kohistan Abdul Haq and Zargul Khan and announced to join PTI.

28-member committee of Lower Kohistan joins ruling party

Zargul Khan said that the 28-member committee was influential as its nominated candidates for a National Assembly and provincial assembly seats always won the general elections.

“We have adopted such a strategy in Hazara division to win almost all seats of Nation and provincial assemblies in the coming general elections. Joining of PTI by this committee is also part of this strategy,” said Mr Khan.

He also claimed that provincial government succeeded to gain control over eight kilometres disputed territory between Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Gilgit-Baltistan.

“Soon a meeting of federal government with our committee will be held in which all modalities to give possession of the disputed territory will be decided and provincial government will establish its control there,” said Mr Khan.

OPERATION: Police launched a search operation at the Afghan refugee camp in Sheikhabad area here on Wednesday.

Police seized two rifles, pistols and hundreds of bullets during the operation.

DPO Ahsan Saifullah told journalists that police had also started crackdown against the tenants and property owners, who were violating Tenant Act, 2013.

He said that crime rate in the district decreased drastically because of the effective policing.

“We have increased patrolling in and outsides city alongside other effective measures, which have decreased crime rate in the district,” said Mr Saifullah.

Published in Dawn, February 9th, 2017