MANSEHRA: The PML-N has decided to support the JUI-F nominee in Torghar district’s only provincial assembly constituency.

“We will support the JUI-F candidate in PK-35 against PTI nominee Zareen Gul,” PML-N district president Zafar Mehmood told reporters here on Monday.

Mr Gul had joined the PTI lately after quitting the JUI-F. He was elected as MPA on the JUI-F ticket.

Mr Zafar also said the PML-N had named retired captain and former prime minister Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Mohammad Safar Awan as its election candidate in NA-14 and PK-33, former MPA Sardar Zahoor in PK-31 and Naeem Sakhi from PK-32.

He said the party would finalise candidate in the district’s fifth provincial assembly constituency soon. Mr Mehmood said former religious affairs minister Sardar Mohammad Yousuf would contest elections in PK-34 and his son, Sardar Shahjehan Yousuf, in NA-13.

PTI woman candidate

The PTI has created history by naming a woman as election candidate in the provincial assembly constituency of Kohistan district.

“We have fielded a woman to contest election on one of the three provincial assembly seats of the highly conservative Kohistan district, where other parties can’t even think about doing so,” PTI, Hazara division, president Zargul Khan told reporters here on Monday.

Mr Zargul said the party had named three women candidates in Mansehra and Kohistan districts despite facing strong resistance from within.

He said Sidra Khalid would be the party’s candidate in PK-26 Lower Kohistan, where five women were allegedly killed for cheering men during a marriage function two years ago. The PTI leader claimed that the party didn’t name Babar Saleem Swati as PA-31, Mansehra, candidate among its election nominees for Hazara division by mistake.

“I am optimistic that Mr Swati will be named as election candidate in few days,” he said.

Mr Zargul said the PTI had awarded ticket to Mohammad Iqbal Khan in PK-27 Kolai-Palas (Kohistan), Maria Fatima in PK-30 Mansehra-I, Zahid Chenzeb in PK-32 Mansehra-III, Nawabzada Fareed in PK-33 Mansehra-IV, Zahida Sabeel in PK-34 Mansehra-V and Zareen Gul in PK-35 Torghar.

TWO KILLED: Two people were killed when a passenger van fell into a deep ravine in Pattan area of Lower Kohistan district on Monday. The accident occurred as the driver lost the van’s control negotiating a sharp turn.

The local residents retrieved the injured from the ravine and shifted them to a nearby hospital, where the doctors pronounced both Mohammad Saleem and Usman dead.

The bodies were later sent to the deceased’s native villages in Palas.

Published in Dawn, June 26th, 2018