LAKKI MARWAT, Sept 8: Campaigning for the third phase of local government polls is gaining momentum with two major political groups in the district stepping up contacts with elected representatives. Sources said on Thursday that Pakistan Muslim League leader Salim Saifullah Khan, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam’s provincial amir Maulana Amanullah Khan, naib amir Maulana Haji Amir Nawaz Khan and candidate for the post of district nazim Humayun Saifullah Khan were visiting different areas of the district seeking support of union council members for the candidates of the Muttahida-Khushal alliance.

Sources said that several independent panels had assured the Saifullahs of their support but the announcement by Anwar Hayat Khan, a close ally of the Saifullahs who has been elected nazim of the Gandi Khankhel union council, that he would contest for the post of Naurang tehsil nazim as an independent candidate has increased their difficulties.

“Under an agreement, the Khushaal Pakistan group backed by the Saifullahs of the Pakistan Muslim League has awarded the seat of Naurang tehsil nazim to the Muttahida group of the JUI, which has named Maulana Bashir Ahmad as its candidate,” the sources said.

“Leaders of the Watan Nawaz group backed by the PML (Nawaz) have also intensified their campaign but the group has not yet named its candidates,” the sources said. They said the PML-N leadership would prefer to give a seat to the family of former MNA Haji Mohammad Kabir Khan.

They said the PML-N’s deputy parliamentary leader in the NWFP Assembly Zafrullah Khan Marwat and two former MNAs after holding meetings in several union councils, have claimed support of about 260 elected representatives.