TIMERGARA, May 9: District and Sessions Judge Muhammad Azeem Afridi announced on Tuesday that Inayatullah, a joint candidate of Awami National Pakistan, People’s Party Parliamentarians, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F) and PML, had been elected as the district nazim of Lower Dir.

A meeting was convened for this purpose by naib nazim Zahir Shah in the council hall at Balambat.

The district and sessions judge declared Inayatullah as the successful candidate, saying that the votes polled by convener Zahir Shah in the previous election on Jan 5, 2006, were not valid.

Inayatullah secured 25 votes – one more than his rival Sultanul Mulk, the joint candidate of JI, PML-N and PPP-S.

JI leaders on this occasion said that the Peshawar High Court had declared the previous contest between Inayatullah and Sultanul Mulk a tie and had called for either a repoll or a toss. But they said the court still declared Inayatullah the officiating nazim.

Meanwhile, women councillors Shad Begum and Ishrat Begum told newsmen that they were called to the meeting, but they were made to sit in a separate room.

They said that they had waited for three hours in the council for the decision but no one informed them about the proceedings.