KHAR: Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Bajaur Agency chapter, on Friday nominated its candidates for three local National Assembly seats whose names would be sent for approval to the party’s central selection board for award of tickets.

The decision was made during party’s consultative committee meeting held here with Rahat Yousaf, PML-N local chapter president, in the chair. Office-bearers and senior workers from different areas of the agency attended the meeting.

According to the decision, PML-N local chapter general secretary Gul Kareem Khan has been nominated for NA-40, Nawabzada Wahid Khan for NA-41 and Azizullah Khan for NA-42.

It was pointed out that some influential and wealthy persons were trying for the party tickets without local chapter’s support.

However, the participants announced that they would show strong resistance if the party’s central selection board awarded tickets to persons other than those recommended by the local chapter.

A senior party leader who attended the meeting told this correspondent that some participants wanted to recommend the name of party’s sitting MNA Shahabuddin Khan for the party ticket for NA-42, but majority of workers rejected the idea, saying he was not sincere with them and the party.

Senior party leaders told the participants that the meeting was called in line with the directives of PML-N parliamentary board to nominate suitable and competent candidates for all the three National Assembly seats of Bajaur Agency for the coming elections.

COURTS EXTENSION: PML-N MNA Shahabuddin Khan welcomed the approval of legislation to extend jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and Peshawar High Court to Fata and termed it a historic step towards provision of easy and speedy justice to the people.

Talking to this correspondent, he said that extension of jurisdiction of the superior judiciary to the tribal areas would also boost the socioeconomic condition of the region.

However, Mr Khan slammed the federal government for delaying the proposed merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and abolition of FCR.

Fata Youth Organisation senior vice-president Usman Mamoundzai also welcomed the approval of legislation, while Insaf Students Federation president Asadullah Khan said that it would enable the tribesmen to challenge in the superior courts any decision of the political administration based on injustice.

Published in Dawn, April 21st, 2018