SHANGLA: The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on Wednesday announced bilateral seat adjustment for Feb 8 general elections here.

The announcement was made by leaders of the two parties during a news conference in Bisham area.

They included PML-N leader and former MNA Ibadullah Khan and district president Intikhab Alam, JUI-F district emir Qari Zainullah and general secretary Maulana Ziaur Rehman, aspirant for PK-29 election Shaukat Ali Khan, and others.

Mr Zainullah said seat adjustment with the PML-N came on the instructions of the party’s central and provincial leadership.

“We [JUI-F] will support and vote for the PML-N in one National Assembly and two provincial assembly seats here,” he said.

He said the two parties had “ideological liaison” with each other and that their top leaders recently met over cooperation in elections.

Mr Ibadullah said his party PML-N would contest election in PK-29 with the election symbol of book, while the two parties would go to polls in other constituencies with the symbol of tiger.

“It is the final and formal decision of both parties to support each other in elections,” he said.

The JUI-F emir said if aspirants of the party’s election tickets violated that decision, the district cabinet had the right to expel them.

He said his party had a strong vote bank in Shangla.

Mr Ibadullah said the PML-N leaders contesting elections independently in violation of the party’s rules would face action.

PML-N leader Fazalulllah Pir Mphammad Khan’s uncle is likely to contest elections on NA-11 as an independent candidate.

He said the people of Chakisar had no issues with the PML-N leadership but rival candidates were misleading the people through propaganda over delimitation issue.

PML-N leader Amir Muqam is likely to contest election in PK-30, Mohammad Rashad Khan in PK-28 and Ibadullah Khan in NA-12.

Meanwhile, the district and sessions court on Wednesday confirmed the pre-arrest bail of Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf provincial senior vice-president Shaukat Yousafzai in cases registered against him for violating Section 144 imposed on public gathering.

Mr Yousafzai has planned to contest general elections but his nomination papers were rejected for all three Shangla seats, including PK-28, PK-30 and NA-11.

Published in Dawn, January 4th, 2024