DIR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday announced withdrawal of its candidate in favour of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) for the by-election on PK-93. The announcement was made at a press conference in the district election office in the presence of local PTI and JI leaders. After a short meeting at the election office, the leaders of the two parties said they would work to strengthen their alliance in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Later, speaking at the press conference, Sajjad Fayyaz said the PTI Upper Dir chapter was withdrawing its candidate in favour of the JI nominee on the directives of Chief Minister Parvez Khattak and the PTI leadership. He said the JI and PTI will jointly run the election campaign. He said the PTI workers would vote for the JI candidate in the by-election slated for September 15. Sajjad Fayyaz said the position of the JI candidate had consolidated after the withdrawal of the PTI candidate. JI district head Sahibzada Fasihullah welcomed decision of the PTI and said his party had never underestimated PTI in Upper Dir.
