MANSEHRA: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl leader Maulana Gul Naseeb on Saturday claimed that his party would sweep the coming local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

“The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, which had got a fake public mandate in the last year’s general elections, will suffer a landslide defeat in the coming local body elections, especially due to its anti-state policies and escalating inflation,” Mr Naseeb told a gathering of his party’s councillors in Judbah, the district headquarters of Torghar.

The JUI-F leader said the PTI government had pushed the country to the brink of bankruptcy but even then, Prime Minister Imran Khan had been making tall claims about prosperity and development.

“We will never allow the governmentto delay these elections after the completion of the term of current local bodies by the end of this month,” he said.

Party leader Gul Naseeb flays govt over high inflation

Mr Naseeb said JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman would never allow the prime minister to play with the country’s future.

“We need the people’s support to put the country on the way to prosperity and development,” he said.

JUI-F leader Mufti Kifaytullah, who was also in attendance, said the people would take revenge on the ruling PTI for imposing high inflation and taxes by voting against it in the coming local body elections.

PEACE PROMISED: The Sunni and Shia ulema and scholars on Saturday assured the Mansehra police of their support in maintaining peace and religious harmony in the district during Muharram.

The assurance was made during the separate meetings of the leaders of both sects with district police officer Zaibullah Khan here.

The police department had called the meetings to seek proposals for peaceful Ashura processions and Majalis across the district.

“We’ll remain as peaceful as we used to be in the past. The police should follow the previous agreements reached between both sects and district administration in letter and spirit,” said Mufti Kifayatullah, who led the Sunni ulema and scholars.

The Shia scholars led by Syed Abid Hussain Shah promised full support to the police for maintaining peace. They demanded the restoration of the previous Ashura procession route in the city.

District police officer Zaibullah Khan said maintaining law and order was the top priority of his department, while the religious scholars should sensitise people to the need for peace in Muharram.

“We will ensure the heavy presence of police in and outsides imambargahs and on the routes of Ashura and other processions and won’t allow people to take the law into their hands,” he said.

Published in Dawn, August 25th, 2019