CHITRAL, Oct 30: The election tribunal for Upper Dir district has unseated four union council nazims for possessing certificates from madressahs. The tribunal — comprising Chitral district and sessions judge Saleem Jan Khan — announced the order here on Saturday.

The tribunal declared two petitioners, who had been runner-up in the union council polls, as elected nazims and ordered re-election in the remaining two UCs.

The petitioners had contended that the winning candidates did not possess matriculation certificates and in the light of the Supreme Court decision on Aug 16 that certificates of madressahs were not equivalent to matric certificates, they stood disqualified.

The union councils in which the runner-up candidates were declared elected are Sauni and Sheringel whereas re-election has been ordered in the Gualdai and Upper Dir Khas UCs.

With the unseating of the four nazims affiliated with the Jamaat-i-Islami, the position of District Nazim Sahibzada Tariqullah has been jeopardized.

His rival has sought a stay order, contending that after the disqualification of the four union council nazims, the district nazim has lost majority in the district council.