SWABI, April 20: Candidates belonging to three groups are in the run for the post of nazim and naib nazim election to be held next month. The district Nazim and Naib Nazim's slots fell vacant when Nazim Sher Zaman Sher was disqualified by the Supreme Court on April 19 for having submitted a fake matriculation certificate to contest the election in 2001.

One group comprises supporters of the ousted Nazim, the Pakistan Muslim League (Nawaz), the PML (Quaid-i-Azam), the Pakistan People's Party (Sherpao) and the Swabi Qaumi Mahaz. The group also includes union council Nazims of the Swabi Independent Group.

The Awami National Party, the Jamaat-i-Islami and a few workers of the PML and the independents' group have joined hands in support of the ANP candidate. A majority of the 56 UC Nazims in the district have formed the Swabi All Councillors' Ittehad.

Analysts term it a pressure group and expect it to support any of the two other groups. The People's Party Parliamentarians has not made its position clear.