TIMERGARA, May 16: Many local families on Wednesday announced to quit Pakistan People’s Party and Awami National Party to join Jamaat-i-Islami.

Of these families, 100 belonged to Nasafai village in Maidan area, 200 to Sarlara Kotkay area and 20 to Shagai village.

These families made the announcements during public meetings in their respective villages.

JI candidate for NA-24 Sahibzada Yaqub Khan, former MPA Saeed Gul, JI Maidan chief Haji Fazal Wahab and former tehsil nazim Musharraf Shah addressed these public meetings.

They claimed that JI was the most popular party in the district and that it was serving people without being in power or assemblies.

“We will sweep the next elections in Lower and Upper Dir,” claimed Mr Yaqub.

Meanwhile, several families from Barron area announced to quit JI and join PPP the other day.

Representatives of these families made the announcement during a function in Barron.

PPP Senator Ahmad Hassan Khan, provincial minister Mahmood Zeb Khan and PSF leader Alam Zeb Utmani addressed the function.

Meanwhile, organising committees of the 2nd International Workshop on Materials’ Modeling and Simulations-2012 on Wednesday held a meeting at the University of Malakand.

Chairman of the physics department Professor Dr Iftikhar Ahmad chaired the meeting.

According to him, the four-day workshop will be held from May 21 at the university with the collaboration of Hakim Sabzevar Tarbiat Moallem University of Iran.

He appreciated the work of the committee conveners and members in organising IWMMS-2012 and highlighted arrangements for the workshop. He said the event would bring good name to the university besides contributing a lot to its growth.

Professor Dr Iftikhar said local and foreign experts will share their research with participants.

Also in the day, an information and communication technologies training programme for students, teachers, researchers and supporting staff concluded at the University of Malakand.

Vice chancellor Professor Dr Rasool Jan, who was the chief guest on the occasion, distributed certificates and shields to participants.