KOHAT: Several local leaders of different political parties have changed their loyalties to support new parties by making joining announcements at corner meetings.

Muttahidda Majlis-i-Amal district secretary general Mohammad Abid Khan commented that this was due to the attraction of personalities, conviction of Nawaz Sharif and establishment of a five-party MMA.

The leaders and workers were showing reaction to unfair distribution of tickets which had been awarded to ‘disputed’ candidates by their party hierarchies. Other factors responsible for change of loyalties include local priorities and the parties respective stand on the issues of health, water and sanitation. The workers say that tickets were awarded to rich people whose money was not clean.

Abid Khan said that Asghar Ayub, tehsil president of PML-N, had joined PTI after remaining supporter of Nawaz Sharif for decades. He said that PML-N district president Sher Khan Bangash announced his support for the MMA candidates after developing differences with the party’s candidate in NA-32 Abbas Afridi.

PML-N tehsil nazim Malik Taimoor has also decided to support MMA in the elections. Awami National Party’s former councillor Kashif Shah has announced to vote for Gohar Saifullah of MMA. The Ahle Sunnat Wal Jamaat has announced to support an independent candidate, former governor Iftikhar Hussain Shah, in July 25 elections.

CONVENTION: Speakers at a women’s convention of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf here have said that when women stand up for betterment of coming generations then icons like Malala are born.

According to a statement issued here on Sunday by Ittefaq Welfare Organisation, the speakers on the occasion said that the women were fighting for their due rights for the last 70 years which had been denied to them by successive governments.

They vowed to vote for PTI for changing the discriminatory policies against women. The PTI candidates Shehryar Afridi from NA-32, Ziaullah Bangash PK-82, Aftab Alam PK-80 and Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi PK-81 promised them that if it came to power their party would address the women’s issues on priority and provide them with health and education facilities and Jobs.

Published in Dawn, July 23rd, 2018