HARIPUR, Sept 19: The Azad Hamkhial group of UC nazims and councillors here on Monday announced support for Yusuf Ayub Khan for Haripur district nazim’s post and decided to work hard to get him elected.

The decision was taken at a meeting of the group at a local hotel. The meeting was attended by nazims and councillors of different UCs of Haripur. Former foreign minister Goher Ayub Khan was also present on this occasion.

The group was formed a few days back by four nazims of Yusuf Ayub camp. It held several meetings to muster support of maximum voters for him.

Malik Akram, nazim of UC Hattar, Saeed Khan Abbasi, nazim UC Shah Maqsood and Ehjaz Khan, nazim UC Jati Pind in their speeches listed the problems of the district and said that during the last four years the former district nazim had inequitably distributed the funds thus showed discrimination against his opponents. They said due to this approach of the former nazim a major part of the district remained neglected.

They said Yusuf Ayub Khan had spent millions of rupee on development of area during his two stints as a provincial minister and was again committed to do more for his constituency.

They also accused the former district nazim of introducing a culture of buying voters.

Yusuf Ayub Khan, in his speech, said that if voted to power, he would make efforts for good governance, rights of councillors and making Haripur a model district in terms of development.

He accused the former district nazim of indulging in corrupt practice and deliberately keeping the district underdeveloped. He promised to make police, education and other departments people friendly.

His uncle Goher Ayub Khan also addressed the UC nazims and councillors and urged them to use their vote for Yusuf Ayub for bringing about real development.

He also criticized the former district nazim and accused him of creating obstruction in the process of development which his son Omar Ayub Khan, minister of state for finance, had initiated.

Khushi Mohammad Awan, nazim UC Kalinjar, Syed Masood Shah, nazim UC Pind Hasham Khan, Salim Khan Bagra, nazim UC Bagra, and Attiq-ur-Rehman, councillor UC Mankraye were prominent among other speakers.