BAJAUR: Ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and Jamaat-i-Islami have made seat adjustment for the re-election to be held in four polling stations here on Feb 13.

Sources in the parties told Dawn on Wednesday that negotiations between the PTI and JI leaderships had begun a day after the Election Commission of Pakistan ordered re-polling in 221 polling stations across Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on Feb 13.

The sources quoted Qari Abdul Majeed, JI Bajaur deputy head, as saying that the Jamaat and PTI had agreed to make a seat adjustment in the four polling stations, two each in Khar and Nawagai tehsils.

Under the agreement, Mr Majeed, who was also part of the negotiations, said PTI would support Sahibzada Haroonur Rasheed, the JI candidate for Khar tehsil chairman seat, while his party would support Dr Khalilur Rahman, PTI nominee for Nawagai tehsil chairman slot.

Similarly, sources in the PTI also confirmed the development, claiming the arrangement would help the two parties win the tehsil chairmen’s slots easily.

“An announcement to this effect will be formally made on Thursday (today),” said PTI leader Sikandar Zeb Khan, who is the elder son of provincial minister for social welfare Anwarzeb Khan.

The election commission had postponed polling in the four polling stations after some unpleasant incidents occurred on the polling day on December 19, last year.

According to the unofficial results of the 186 out of total 188 polling stations of Khar tehsil, JUI-F’s nominee for tehsil chairman’s slot Said Badshah had secured 18,412 votes, JI’s Haroon Rasheed 17,760 votes and the PTI candidate had obtained 16,000 votes.

Similarly, results of the 172 polling stations out of total 174 in Nawagai tehsil showed that the JUI-F-backed independent candidate Najeeb Khan had secured 20,203 votes, Dr Khalilur Rahman of PTI had secured 19,990 votes and JI’s Latif Jan had bagged 16,580 votes.

Published in Dawn, February 10th, 2022