LAKKI MARWAT, Aug 31: Two major political groups have accelerated efforts to form district government and have also started making close contacts with other political parties and elected representatives, including nazims, naib nazims and councillors for the purpose to seek their support.

Informed sources revealed on Wednesday that the influential Saifullah group had proposed the name of former head of the district government Humayun Saifullah Khan for the key post of district nazim saying that a leader of the Pakistan Muslim League, Salim Saifullah Khan, has called on the leadership of Jamiat-i-Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl) in order to secure their support in this connection.

“Salim Saifullah also held a meeting with Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani wherein Durrani was requested to convince the JUI-F to extend its support to Humayun Saifullah Khan,” sources told Dawn.

They said that the local leadership of the JUI-F was pondering over the name of Maulana Haji Amir Nawaz Khan Advocate, former chairman of the Social Action Board and provincial naib amir of the JUI-F for the slot of district nazim.

They further said: “JUI’s circles will insist on Saifullah to support their nominated candidate if Amir Nawaz Khan was fielded in the election arena for the seat of district nazim.”

While referring to a recent one-on-one meeting between Chief Minister Mohammad Akram Khan Durrani and PML-N’s deputy parliamentary leader in NWFP Assembly Zafrullah Khan Marwat, sources quoted MPA Zafrullah Khan as telling the chief minister that the Watan Nawaz group affiliated with the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz) would contest the election of district nazim against the candidate of Saifullah’s group in case the JUI refrained from bringing its own contender for the key post.

They maintained that the PML-N would field MPA Zafrullah Khan Marwat for the seat of district nazim if the government allowed MPs to contest elections of district, Tehsil and town nazims and keep both offices at a time.

“Another MP of PML-N Malik Imran Khan Marwat whose BA degree has become Damocles’ sword for him may decide to take part in the run for grabbing the slot of district nazim,” sources said.