LAKKI MARWAT: The parliamentary board of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf has nominated its candidates for the three provincial assembly constituencies of the district, bringing an end to speculations among party workers.

According to party sources, Johar Mohammad Khan was awarded ticket to contest election from PK-91, Lakki Marwat-I. Former district nazim Ishfaq Ahmad, former federal secretary Akhtar Munir Marwat, PTI district vice-president Mohammad Iqbal and Barrister Sher Afzal had also applied for ticket for the same constituency. Mr Ahmad and Mr Afzal are now vying to get PTI ticket for NA-36.

Munir Marwat is likely to contest election as an independent candidate.

For PK-92, Lakki Marwat-II, the PTI awarded ticket to Dr Hisham Inamullah who is the cousin of Saifullah brothers. The Saifullahs had forged an electoral alliance with PTI under which the party would support Salim Saifullah as an independent candidate in NA-36. The alliance had virtually divided the district chapter of PTI into two groups. One was in favour of the alliance, while the other led by district chief Saleem Nawaz opposed it.

The dissident PTI office-bearers supported Mr Johar for award of ticket for PK-91, but they feared that Saifullah brothers might hamper their efforts to get ticket for their close aide Ishfaq Ahmad or Sher Afzal.

The parliamentary board also ignored tehsil councillor Farhanullah Khan and other party activists for PK-92. Former MNA Naseer Mohammad Khan’s nephew Tariq Saeed would be the PTI contender from PK-93 as he had been awarded the ticket.

Meanwhile, Salim Saifullah, who had earlier announced to contest the election as an independent candidate from NA-36, has now decided to withdraw from the election race and let the field open for young aspirants.

The decision was taken in a bid to keep the alliance between Marwat Ittehad Group and PTI intact. The local PTI office-bearers had opposed supporting Salim Saifullah as an independent candidate for National Assembly constituency.

“If Salim Saifullah wants to win elections with the support of PTI then he will have to jump into polls arena with the PTI ticket,” according to a local PTI leader.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2018