PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has announced candidates for chairmanship of the tehsil councils for the local government elections to be held in 17 districts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on December 19 as Maulana Fazlur Rehman’s son-in-law is vying for the slot of mayor Peshawar Metropolitan.

In a significant development, JUI-F has decided that it is ready for alliance or seat adjustment with other political parties in all districts accept the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI).

JUI-F provincial secretary information Abdul Jalil Jan said that alliance or seat adjustment with PTI was out of question. “Electoral alliance with PTI means that JUI-F endorses all steps and actions taken by the ruling party in the province during the last eight years,” he added.

JUI-F provincial spokesperson rules out seat adjustment with PTI

Talking to Dawn, he said that his party had been struggling against the PTI government for the last three years and it was improper for it to make alliance with the ruling party.

“Ethically this is not suitable for JUI-F to make seat adjustment with a party against which we have been struggling for the last three years,” he said.

Jalil Jan said that electoral alliance with PTI at the district or tehsil level meant that JUI-F had lost the elections. He said that the JUI-F workers would not accept alliance or seat adjustment with the ruling party. He added that despite political differences, his party was ready for seat adjustment with PPP, ANP or any other political party.

A list released from the party provincial secretariat on Sunday shows that JUI-F would contest election of tehsil nazim and city corporation mayors in 59 tehsil and metropolitans of the province. In Peshawar, which comprises total seven tehsils, JUI-F, according to the list, announced candidates for six tehsils including metropolitan.

Ticket for the mayor slot of Peshawar Metropolitan has been allotted to Zubair Ali, son of former city district nazim Haji Ghulam Ali. He is also son-in-law of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman. Former MPA Khalid Waqar Chamkani has been allotted ticket from Peshawar’s Chamkani tehsil.

Maulana Amanat Shah is candidate for Mardan city mayor slot. The party has also announced candidates for the tribal districts including Khyber, Bajaur and Mohmand where for the first time local government election would be held.

Election Commission of Pakistan has announced schedule for the local government election in 17 districts of the province.

On the order of the Peshawar High Court, elections are being held on party basis.

The provincial government has now appealed to Supreme Court to set aside a Peshawar High Court’s short order, declaring as unconstitutional holding of local bodies’ elections on non-party basis. Major opposition parties had challenged the election on non-party basis in the high court.

According to a notification, ECP would allot election symbols to contesting candidates on November 23. The list of the candidates would also be published the same day. The last day for the withdrawal of candidature and publication of revised list of candidates is Monday (today).

Published in Dawn, November 22nd, 2021