MARDAN: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Monday awarded ticket to the party candidate Lakhkar Khan to contest elections for the slot of tehsil Mardan mayor in the upcoming local body elections.

Seven aspirants had applied for the party ticket, including Mohammad Ayaz Safi, Tariq Mehmood Aryani, Lakhkar Khan, Shahid Bacha, Sajid Iqbal Mohmand, Kaleemullah Toru and Naeem Anwar.

However, differences developed among the local lawmakers as to who should be nominated for the Mardan tehsil mayor’s slot.

The PTI lawmakers were divided into two groups, with one group led by provincial minister Atif Khan, MPAs Tufail Anjum and Zahir Shah Toru, while the other was led by MPAs Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Ameer Farzand, Abdus Salam Afridi and Malik Shaukat.

The aspirants Mohammad Ayaz Safi, Tariq Mehmood Aryani, Lakhkar Khan and Shahid Bacha were supported by Atif Khan group, and Sajid Iqbal Mohmand and Kaleemullah Toru had the backing of Iftikhar Mashwani group.

Naeem Anwar was also in the running on his own.

However, the party sources claimed that the differences had been resolved, and Lakhkar Khan emerged as the consensus candidate for the mayor’s slot.

Besides, the party has awarded tickets to Zarshad Khan, Khawar Mohmand, Muzafar Shah and Shah Faisal for chairmanship of Katlang, Takhtbai, Rustam and Garikapura tehsils, respectively.

Published in Dawn, November 23rd, 2021