SWABI, Dec 15: Ninety-nine candidates of different political parties withdrew their nomination papers here on Saturday.

There are two national and six provincial assembly seats in the district. The withdrawal of the papers has set a stage for tough contests among the remaining candidates.

Prominent among those who withdrew their papers were former MNA of the Jamaat-i-Islami, Mohammad Usman, Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf provincial vice-president Asad Qaisar, Swabi Qaumi Mahaz chairman Dr Mohammad Salim, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (Haqiqi) central general secretary Najeem Khan, JI provincial naib amir Mushtaq Ahmad, former provincial education minister Maulana Fazal Ali Haqqani and former president of the Sarhad Chamber of Commerce and Industry Liaqat Ahmad Khan.

Sources said that 13 candidates withdrew their nomination papers from NA-12; 14 candidates from NA-13; 10 candidates from PF-31, Swabi-I; 11 candidates from PF-32, Swabi-II; eight candidates from PF-33, Swabi-III; 11 candidates from PF-34, Swabi-IV; 15 candidates from PF-35, Swabi-V; and 17 candidates from PF-36, Swabi-VI.