CHARSADDA: The Qaumi Watan Party will get the district nazim’s office in August after the completion of the two-year term of the incumbent from the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

The development, which will coincide with the replacement of nazims in two tehsils of Charsadda, comes in line with an earlier agreement among QWP, PTI and Jamaat-i-Islami.

A meeting in this respect took place at the Markaz-i-Islami here, where JI district chief and chairman of the tripartite alliance Mohammad Riaz Khan and QWP district chairman and special assistant to the chief minister Arshad Khan Umarzai were also in attendance.

Jamaat Islami information secretary Noor Hussain told Dawn that under the tripartite accord, the QWP’s nominee would replace district nazim Fahad Azam Khan of the PTI in August.

“The two-year term of the current nazim will complete in the end of July and therefore, the new nazim will take office in August,” he said, adding that the replacement of nazims in two tehsils of Charsadda will also take place.

The JI leader said the participants expressed satisfaction with the manner in which the district government’s affairs by the tripartite alliance were being handled and hoped that its remaining two years in office would be completed with unity and brotherhood.

He said under the tripartite agreement, PTI’s Fahad was elected district nazim and JI’s Musawar Durrani naib nazim, while Yahya Jan and Zafarullah Khan of the QWP became tehsil nazims in Tangi and Shabqadar respectively.

Also, Khalil Bashir Khan of the ANP was elected nazim of Charsadda tehsil council and JUI-F’s Dr Altaf naib nazim.

The ANP and JUI-F later made an alliance at Charsadda tehsil council.

Insiders said three councillors of the QWP were in the running for the district nazim’s office and that they included Arif Bacha, Shahid Katozai and Hidayatullah.

They said the current district nazim was in contact with party leaders and councillors to win their support for extension in his term for two more years.

When contacted, opposition leader in the district council Qasim Ali Muhammadzai said the JUI-F and ANP would field own candidates for the offices of the nazims.

WALK: A walk was held in the Tangi Bazaar to create public awareness of the harms of celebrity firing.

The walk led by Tangi police station SHO Gul Shed Khan was attended by social and political activists, civil society workers and people from other walks of life.

The participants demanded the ‘social boycott’ of the people firing gunshots in the air to celebrate events.

The walk began from outside the Tangi police station and ended at Thangi Chowk after passing through areas.

The speakers, including Tangi DSP Sajjad Khan, SHO Gul Shed Khan and nazims Mujahaid Khan, Mohammad Naeem Khan, Qari Fazal Muala and Dost Mohammad Khan, called upon the people to abandon celebratory firing to protect the people’s lives.

Meanwhile, district police chief Suhail Khan has asked the police to check celebratory firing on Chand Raat and Eid.

He also asked religious scholars and prayer leaders to deliver special sermons in mosques against the illegal activity.

The DPO also ordered the deployment of additional police force in the district during Eid days.

Published in Dawn, June 24th, 2017