PTI Torghar Distt nazim, deputy de-seated, fresh polls ordered

MANSEHRA: The Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the Peshawar High Court (PHC) on Wednesday de-seated Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s Torghar District Nazim Noor Mohammad and Naib Nazim Shamdad Khan.

The court ordered the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to issue schedule for fresh election for the office of the district nazim.

The two-member bench comprising Justice Attique Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali dismissed the petition filed by District Nazim Noor Mohammad.

The bench upheld the decision of the Local Government Commission of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa that had validated the vote of the convener against the petitioner during the no-confidence motion.

Junaid Anwar Khan appeared for Dilroz Khan, who was respondent in the case.

Abdul Latif and Naeem Anwar represented Noor Mohammad and Shamdad Khan, respectively.

A dissident group in PTI led by Dilroz Khan had moved the no-confidence motion against their party’s District Nazim Noor Mohammad in July last year.  The no-confidence motion was passed by the majority with 16 votes in the 23-member district council.

The convener for the council had also cast his vote in no-confidence motion. Noor Mohammad had challenged the vote in Local Government Commission that declared the entire process under the ambit of law.

The district nazim had challenged decision of the Local Government Commission in the Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the PHC in January. He pleaded the court that the convener couldn’t cast his vote but the bench upheld the previous decrees and ordered the ECP to announce fresh election for the office of the district nazim.

According to the Local Government Act 2017, the election for the convener is held within the house.  

The voting for the election of the convener would be held today following the court verdict. Dilroz Khan, who is expected to run for the office of the district nazim, expressed satisfaction at the verdict and said justice had been dispensed. He said the PTI would support Obaidullah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) for the election.

Dilroz Khan alleged Noor Mohammad had breached the agreement to relinquish his responsibilities as district nazim on completion of two-year in office. He asserted it compelled his group to table the no-confidence motion against the district nazim with support of JUI-F councillors.

He said he would contest for the office of district nazim.