SWABI, Aug 29: All opposition groups have joined hands against the Awami National Party (ANP) and PML-N when they forged a grand alliance for the upcoming district nazim and Tehsil nazim elections in the district.

The alliance of nine parties was named the Swabi Jamhoori Ittehad (SJI). Muqarab Khan and former provincial general secretary of JUI-F Najeem Khan were nominated as president and general secretary respectively.

The Alliance comprises the PPP (S), PPPP, Swabi Qaumi Mahaz, PML-Q, JUI-F, JI, JUI-S, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf and Azad Group of nazims.

All the district leaders took an oath on Sunday, pledging that they would not deceive each other and the names of the candidates proposed by the constituted committee would be acceptable to all the groups.

They constituted a committee to nominate the candidates for the district nazim and Tehsil nazim’s slot.

The committee failed to name the candidates till Sunday and later it was decided to hold a meeting at the Madrassah of Maulana Khalil Ahmad on Monday. However, it again failed to nominate their candidates for the district nazim and Tehsil nazim’s slots and decided to hold another meeting for this purpose on Aug 31.

The ANP enjoyed the support of 20 union council nazims and two nazim’s slots belonging to the PML-N, but the SJI had the support of 28 nazims.

SJI leaders said of the 200 elected female councillors the majority belonged to their component parties.

The former district naib nazim and PML-N leader Liaqat Ahmad Khan did not attend the nine-party meeting on Sunday and held a separate meeting with the leaders of the ANP.

Meanwhile, the ANP and PML-N are poised to announce an alliance and according to insiders they have already struck a deal.