SWABI: Cousins of former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser have decided to join Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl soon, claimed JUI-F central deputy emir Maulana Fazal Ali on Friday.

Talking to reporters here, Mr Ali, who is contesting elections from NA-19, Swabi-1, said he had held a meeting with Mr Qaiser’s cousins – Malik Amir Rehman, Tariq Khan, Mohammad Idris Khan, Mohammad Shiraz Khan and Malik Amjad Khan – at their residence in Marghuz village and invited them to join the party, which they accepted.

He said the party planned a big gathering in their honour soon, where they would formally announce to quit Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf and join JUI-F. “Central leaders of JUI-F are also expected to attend the gathering,” he added.

“More PTI leaders and workers are expected to join JUI-F, which will enable him to give an ‘ignominious’ defeat to Mr Qaiser, who is also contesting elections from NA-19,” he claimed.

NOMINATIONS CHALLENGED: Yousafzai Ali, former district general secretary of PTI, has challenged the nomination papers of Asad Qaiser on the grounds that he was named in the party’s foreign funding case.

Briefing mediapersons, he said he had submitted an application to the returning officer concerned, taking the plea that as Mr Qaiser was named in PTI foreign funding case he should not be allowed to contest the elections from both the National Assembly and provincial assembly constituencies.

Meanwhile, Biland Iqbal, uncle of PTI leaders Shahram Khan Tarakai and Faisal Khan Tarakai, has submitted an application with the returning officers seeking their disqualification for their alleged involvement in corruption.

Mr Shahram, who served as health and education minister during the two stints of PTI in the province, is contesting from NA-20, Swabi-II, and PK-53, and his brother, Faisal Khan Tarakai from PK-52.

Published in Dawn, December 30th, 2023