MARDAN: After quitting the Awami National Party-led local government over the ‘violation’ of a power-sharing agreement, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has applied for opposition benches in the district council.

JUI-F parliamentary leader Maulana Amanat Shah, along with party leaders Maulana Saleem Haleemi, Malik Ayaz and Malik Ahad, on Tuesday gave an application to convener of the district council Asad Ali Kashmiri for the allotment of opposition benches to the party in the district council.

The convener instructed the relevant staff members to allot opposition benches in the house to the JUI-F members.

Maulana Amanat Shah told reporters that the ANP had violated a power-sharing agreement it had made with the JUI-F before the formation of a coalition government two and a half years ago.

He said under the agreement, the first half of the government’s five years tenure were to be given by the ANP and the later to the JUI-F.

The JUI-F leader however said the ANP violated the agreement by not handing over the nazim’s office to the Jamiat after the passage of two and a half years.

He said violation of the agreement by the ANP had forced the JUI-F to apply for the allotment of opposition benches in the district council.

Published in Dawn, January 10th, 2018