HARIPUR, Sept 29: Newly elected members of local bodies on Thursday decided to throw their weight behind the JUI-F nominee for the post of nazim in Haripur tehsil.

The decision was taken at a local government convention organised by the nazims and councillors of six southern union councils of Haripur. Over 250 councillors, nazims, naib nazims attended the event.

Mati-ur-Rehman Qasmi of the JUI-F received unanimous support through a show of hands.

Provincial Minister for Transport and Fisheries Akhtar Nawaz Khan told participants that the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal government had spent millions on development projects in various areas that had been neglected for decades.

Over the last three years, Mr Khan said the basic health unit of Sera-e-Nehmat Khan had been upgraded to the status of a grade C hospital, 14 new schools for girls had been built, including three higher secondary ones for PF-51, and a number of road and water supply schemes had been undertaken.

“These projects show how committed the MMA government is to the task of improving the living standard of people,” Mr Khan said.

The provincial minister also promised to disburse more funds to public welfare-oriented projects.

While coming down hard on the former nazim of Haripur tehsil and describing him as a “morally and financially corrupt man”, the minister called upon the participants to elect honest and people friendly candidates for the tehsil’s top post.

He also announced his unconditional support for Mr Qasmi.

Speaking to the gathering Mr Qasmi, who is nazim elect for the second time from UC Mankraye, vowed to make Haripur tehsil a model one and serve the people without any discrimination.

JUI-F’s district chief, Pir Syed Alamzeb Shah, Maj (R) Safdar Zaman nazim UC Sera-e-Nehmat Khan, Ejaz Khan nazim UC Jati Pind, Abdul Salam Khan nazim UC Panian, Malik Razmat Khan naib nazim UC Sikandar Pur, Khushi Mohammad nazim UC Kalinjar, minority member Dr P.M. Nasir were prominent among those who spoke at the convention.