NOWSHERA/SWABI: The Nowshera and Swabi district councils on Monday elected their nazims, thus filling the positions fell vacant after the holders decided to contest the 2018 general elections.

Haji Ishfaq Ahmad was elected Nowshera district nazim unopposed.

Assistant commissioner, Nowshera, Talha Zubair, was the returning officer. The session continued till 2.30pm but no one submitted nomination papers against Mr Ahmad.

It merits a mention that Mr Ahmad twice remained naib nazim when Pervez Khattak was the chief minister of KP. The nazim’s slot fell vacant when Mr Khattak’s younger brother, Liaqat Khattak, decided to contest the provincial assembly elections.

Of the 72-member district assembly, 51 members cast their votes in favour of Mr Ahmad.

Meanwhile, Zahid Khan of Awami National Party became the new Swabi district nazim, defeating Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Azizullah Khan in a show of hands in the district council.

The district nazim’s slot had fallen vacant after ANP’s Ameer Rehman tendered resignation to contest general elections from PK-47, Swabi-V, against incumbent provincial minister for local government Shahram Khan Tarakai.

The election made clear that the ANP and its allied parties continued to dominate the district council.

“The strategy of the PTI leadership could not work and they tasted another defeat in the district council. The ruling party’s tactics did not work,” said Mohammad Ashfaq, a leader of ANP.

Published in Dawn, January 22nd, 2019