BAJAUR: The Awami National Party on Thursday urged the relevant authorities to ensure free and fair local body elections here by preventing the ruling PTI’s lawmakers from campaigning for their party’s nominees.

Addressing a news conference here, ANP district general secretary Nisar Baz Khan and deputy general secretary Sayed Sadiq Akbar, who is also running for Khar tehsil chairman, said their party had welcomed the holding of the local body elections in the tribal district as it was one of the main components of the 25th Constitutional Amendment, which merged tribal areas with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in May 2018.

They said the local body system was imperative for the region’s speedy and sustainable development to ensure the provision of basic facilities of life to the residents.

ANP leaders seek intervention of authorities

The ANP leaders said theirs was the only political party, which fielded candidates for almost all local body seats in the district.

They claimed that the ANP would emerge as the winner if the Dec 19 local body elections in Bajaur were held freely, fairly and transparently.

The ANP leaders said majority of the residents, especially educated people and youth, supported the ANP due to the efforts of its leaders and workers for the resolution of the region’s core issues.

They alleged that the local PTI lawmakers were trying to influence the upcoming local body elections by canvassing for the nominees of their party in the district.

The ANP leaders insisted that the PTI assembly members were participating in elections campaigns of the candidates and announcing development projects for constituencies in a clear violation of the code of conduct formulated by the Election Commission of Pakistan for local body elections.

They urged the relevant authorities to immediately take note of the matter to ensure free and fair electoral exercise.

Meanwhile, the ANP leaders urged the people to support the party’s candidates in the local body elections in Bajaur tribal district.

They were speaking during a function held to inaugurate the election camp office of candidate for the Khar tehsil chairman’s office Sayed Sadiq Akbar in Yousafabad town of Khar tehsil.

Published in Dawn, December 3rd, 2021