ANP contender elected Torghar district naib nazim

MANSEHRA: The Awami National Party (ANP) Thursday secured the office of district naib nazim in Torghar district due to the differences in Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ranks.

The Abbottabad Circuit Bench of the Peshawar High Court, comprising of Justice Attique Shah and Justice Syed Arshad Ali, had dismissed the petition of unseated District Nazim Noor Mohammad and upheld the decision of Local Government Commission, which had validated vote of convener against the petitioner during no-confidence motion and ordered fresh elections.

Arshad Umar, the assistant commissioner of Kunhar Hassanzai area, who presided over the election, told reporters that Said Nawab Gul of the ANP secured 14 votes and was declared successful and his rival contender of PTI Fazal Khan Tazarai could secure only six votes.

The Election Commission of Pakistan would also issue a schedule for the election of the district nazim anytime in light of the high court’s verdict.

Three councillors, including two of ANP and one from Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, remained absent from the session during the polling.

The PTI leads the 23-member council with 11 councillors and ANP follows it with nine councillors while JUI-F has three councillors.

The PTI had formed coalition government in the district following the local government elections in 2015.

Dilroz Khan, who has been leading the dissident group of PTI, told reporters that his group had withdrawn support to JUI-F contender Obaidullah and decided to support ANP contender Said Nawab Gul, who ultimately won the election.

Also in the day, the unseated district nazim Noor Mohammad told reporters that he would challenge PHC’s verdict in the Supreme Court.