SWABI: Awami National Party’s candidate Hassan Khan won the Swabi nazim’s slot on Monday, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s contestant Shahanshah, during a session of the district council marred by pandemonium and walkout by PTI members.

Mr Khan was the joint candidate of Swabi Democratic Alliance (SDA). The seat had fallen vacant after ANP’s Ameer Rehman decided to contest the July 25 general elections.

Asar Khan, the convener of the district assembly, had convened a special meeting of the house to elect the district nazim. All members of SDA and PTI were present in the session.

The session started peacefully, but when the convener called for the supporters of both the candidates to move to either side of the house for a vote count, PTI members boycotted the session and staged a walkout.

The convener tried to calm them down but nobody headed his calls and the shouting continued unabated.

The seat fell vacant after the holder decided to contest general elections

Azizullah Khan and Shahanshah of PTI argued that they had told the members of ANP and other allied parties that the nazim’s elections could be held only when the bylaws for the purpose were made, but they did not pay heed. Therefore, they said the election of the nazim without first framing bylaws was unconstitutional and against the local government laws.

However, the SDA members counted the members assembled in favour of Mr Hassan and declared that they had received 45 votes, which meant that Mr Hassan stood winner. They said the number of PTI voters was only 30 out of total 84. Three members had tendered resignation for participating in the general elections and two had died.

The result was announced by the convener.

DENGUE CASES: Two dengue cases were detected in the district on Monday, health officials said.

Dr Niaz Mohammad, district health officer, told Dawn that the confirmed dengue patients had been admitted to the Bacha Medical Complex Shahmansoor, where an isolated ward had been established for such patients.

However, he said the symptoms of two patients were not local and the investigations conducted by the health department after the confirmation of the cases revealed that they had recently returned from Karachi, where they contracted the virus.

Both the he patients, Ayaz Khan and Mohammad Murad, hail from Shewa Adda and Charbagh areas of Razaar tehsil.

BODIES RECOVERED: The Yar Hussain police recovered bodies of a young boy and a girl from fields on Monday.

The police were informed about the bodies by local farmers.

The police shifted the bodies to Kalu Khan civil hospital for identification.

Also, a man named Bakhat Zeb was allegedly shot dead by one Asghar in Naranji village. The two had argued a few days ago.

The police, after registering FIR, arrested the accused.

Published in Dawn, August 7th, 2018