MANSEHRA, Nov 19: The Mansehra District Council will elect an officiating Naib Nazim and three members of the Public Safety Commission (PSC) in its session to be held here on Wednesday.

The slot of District Naib Nazim had fallen vacant as the incumbent Naib Nazim, Shahzada Mohammad Gustasap Khan, was elected as a member of the NWFP Assembly from PF-55, Mansehra- III.

District Nazim, Mohammad Azam Khan Swati, has nominated Sher Afzal Khan, Nazim of Malikpur union council, to officiate as Naib Nazim.

The group opposed to Azam Swati has fielded Syed Turab Shah, Nazim of union council Parian Khairabad for the slot of officiating Naib Nazim. Syed Turab Shah, who had support of Sardar Mohammad Yousaf, the PML-Q general secretary of the NWFP chapter, was a close aide of Azam Swati until the Oct 10 election.

Azam Swati has faced a lot of embarrassment after most of the national and provincial assembly candidates fielded by him in the Mansehra district lost the Oct 10 election.

There were speculations in the political circles here that Azam Swati may pack up and leave for the US where he has a lucrative business besides his legal profession as Attorney-at- Law. He has also approached Maulana Fazlur-Rehman for getting the MMA ticket for the senate election.

After the strengthening of the position of Sardar Yousaf in the Oct 10 election, the political observers here attach much importance to the district council session which will elect the officiating naib nazim of the district and members of the PSC.