SWABI, Nov 24: At least 19 prospective candidates have obtained nomination papers for the upcoming general elections from the offices of their respective returning officers for various constituencies of Swabi district.

Swabi district comprises 56 union councils and has six provincial assembly and two National Assembly seats.

Sources said those who obtained the nomination papers for NA-12, Swabi-I, were Jehanzeb Bahadur of PPP (Sherpao) and Syed Maqbool Bukhari of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Fazl). Akhtar Ali and Syed Mukhtiar Bacha were expected to contest the elections as independent candidates.

Those who acquired the nomination papers for NA-13, Swabi-II, were former NWFP education minister Maulana Fazal-i-Ali and Maulana Hussain Ahmad of JUI-F and Amjad Saeed as an independent.

For PF-31, Swabi-I, Masood Jabbar of the PPP (Sherpao), Maj Fida Hussain of the PPP, Hafiz Abdul Muneem JUI-F and Syed Maqbool Shah Bukhari of the JUI-S got nomination papers.

Jehan Bahadar and Syed Khalid Bacha of the PPP-S obtained papers to contest the election for PF-32 Swabi-II.

Maulana Mohammad Amin of JUI-F, who was defeated by Awami National Party’s Mukhtiar Khan, acquired papers for PF-33, Swabi-III, and for PF-34, Swabi-IV, Haji Abdul Majid Khan, former MPA of JUI-F, was preparing to contest.

For PF 35, Swabi-V, Maulana Fazal-i-Ali, former NWFP education minister, and Mufti Arshad JUI-H, who are arch-rivals, have obtained their nomination papers.

Amir Saeed of the PML-N and Sarfaraz Khan Jadoon of the ANP have obtained their nomination papers for PF -36, Swabi VI.