TAXILA: Former district nazim retired Major Tahir Sadiq on Monday said he would formally join the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) at a public meeting to be addressed by Imran Khan in Attock on November 6.

Speaking at a press conference at the district council hall, Mr Sadiq said he had taken the decision to join the PTI after holding consultations with his team and supporters across the district.

The former nazim has a strong vote bank in all the five tesils of Attock - Jand, Fatehjang, Attock, Pindigheb and Hassanabdal.

Previously, he contested elections from the platform of the PML-Q and won a number of seats both in the national and provincial assemblies.

His group is still considered as one of the most influential political groups in the district. Mr Sadiq’s daughter Eman Tahir is currently the chairperson of the district council while his group also holds the posts of Hassanabdal Municipal Committee chairman besides over 100 union council (UC) chairmen and vice chairmen.

Results of the 2013 general elections in the National Assembly seats of NA-57, NA-58 and NA-59 and five provincial assembly constituencies of PP-15, PP-16, PP-17, PP-18 and PP-19 show that there was a very close contest between the PTI and the candidates of the group headed by Mr Sadiq.

In NA-57, PTI candidate Malik Ameen Aslam grabbed 55,515 votes while Mr Sadiq secured 50,878 votes. In NA-58, Malik Sohail of the PTI secured 60,284 votes while Mr Sadiq, who was also contesting from the constituency, secured 58,764 votes. In NA-59, Zain Ellahi of Mr Sadiq’s group grabbed 60,284 votes against 33,721 votes of PTI’s Sardar Mohammad Ali.

The provincial assembly elections also witnessed a similar trend with both the groups dominating in the votes polled.

Published in Dawn, October 24th, 2017