Ex-minister joins JUIF, gets PK-39 ticket

MANSEHRA: The former provincial minister Abrar Hussain alias Mohammad Iqbal on Monday joined Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF).

“I have joined JUI-F and am going to contest the Feb general elections on its ticket from PK-39,” he said at a press conference here.Flanked by the JUI-F leaders Maulana Nasir Mehmood and Maulana Saeed Abdullah, Abrar said talks held between him and religious party’s leaders were successful.

“Thanks to the JUI-F’s central and provincial Shoorah which issued me a ticket for the Feb 8 general elections from PK-39,” he said.He said the JUI-F was the strongest religio-political party and it was why he had decided to join it and contest the election on its ticket.

The JUI-F leader Maulana Nasir Mehmood said that his party had been fielding the strongest possible aspirants in national and provincial assemblies’ constituencies.“Our party prefers its ideology, individuals don’t matter for us and this is why we are fielding aspirants who could win national and provincial assemblies seats in the district and rest of the country,” he said.

The Maulana said talks were also underway with the former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz MPA, Mian Ziaur Rehman for his joining of the JUI-F.“Ziau Rehman is in contact with us for a ticket in PK-36 Mansehra- I and if our talks succeeded, he would join JUI-F and we would withdraw our woman aspirant Saima Bibi in his support,” he said.

The Maulana said that talks with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) for the seat adjustments in Mansehra’s two National Assembly seats were underway.“We have withdrawn our candidate in NA-14 to support PPP, and now want them to withdraw their aspirant, Zargul Khan, in NA-15 in support of our party’s leader Mufti Kifayatullah,” he said.