MANSEHRA: The Pakistan Peoples Party, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians and electables have contacted the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl with proposals to contest the next elections in Hazara division together.

“Most political parties except for the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have approached us for an electrical alliance and seat adjustments but we have yet to take decision about their proposals,” JUI-F deputy provincial emir Hidayatullah Shah told reporters on Friday.

He said the JUI-F’s regional and district chapters could hold talks with political parties and electables for seat adjustments and electrical alliances but the final decision about election nominations would be made by the party’s central shura headed by leader Maulana Fazlur Rehman.

“PPP provincial general secretary Shujah Salim Khan recently approached me for seat adjustments. His proposal will be taken up by our district shura next week,” he said.

Mr Shah said the leadership of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf-Parliamentarians was also in contact with him for seat adjustments in two National Assembly and five provincial assembly constituencies. He added that some electables were in contact with him to either join the JUI-F or hold seat adjustments.

“Consideration into these proposals is under way,” he said.

The JUI-F leader said the party had already named its candidates for Mansehra’s two National Assembly seats and was likely to announce nominations for five provincial assembly constituencies next week.

He claimed that the JUI-F would form the next elected government in the province after emerging as the single largest party in the next elections.

Meanwhile, the Awami National Party has announced it will field election candidates in two National Assembly and five provincial assembly constituencies of Mansehra district.

“Our party’s government launched mega development projects in Hazara in the past on the basis of which we will contest the next elections on all seats,” chairman of the ANP election nomination board in Mansehra Mashal Khan told a party meeting in Balakot.

He said though the party didn’t field candidates in most constituencies here, that won’t happen this time around as its leadership’s election focus was on Hazara division like other parts of the province.

The ANP leader said his party’s chief minister, Ameer Haider Khan Hoti, declared Mansehra’s tribal belt Torghar a settled district in 2011 but approved Rs5 billion development projects for it.

He said dozens of mega development projects were executed by the ANP government in health, education and other sectors in Mansehra and other parts of Hazara Division.

Mr Khan said the ANP would win the next elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to form the government.

ANP aspirant for Balakot’s provincial assembly seat Nazim Hussain and ANP leaders Ahmad Yar Khan and Pervez Khan Yusufzai also addressed the meeting.

Published in Dawn, November 25th, 2023