JUI-F accuses ANP of violating agreement in Mardan

MARDAN: Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leaders have accused Awami National Party (ANP) Mardan nazim of violating an agreement over the district nazim office.

After the local government elections, ANP, Pakistan People's Party (PPP), JUI-F and Imran Shaheed Group had entered into an alliance to block the way of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) from forming government in Mardan district and Takhtbhai, Katlang and Mardan tehsils.

According to the agreement, the district nazim office was given to the ANP and district naib nazim was allotted to PPP. Takhtbhai tehsil nazim slot was allotted to Imran Shaheed Group and Katlang tehsil to the JUI-F. It was stated in the agreement that after two years, they will resign from the offices concerned and candidates of another allied party would be elected.

JUI-F district amir Maulana Mohammad Qasim, general secretary Maulana Amanat Shah, former MPAs Maulana Israr-ul-Haq, Hafiz Akhtar Ali, Taj-ul-Ameen Jabal and others told a press conference at Mardan Press Club that the ANP allegedly violated the agreement.

They said it had been mentioned in the agreement that for the first two years, ANP candidate would be elected as district nazim and later the district nazim along with other allied party's tehsil nazim will resign and candidate of another ally will be elected to the said offices.

According to the agreement, JUI-F candidate would be elected district nazim for the second stint. They said the ANP district nazim had to resign on August 27, this year but even after over two months, Himayatullah Mayar was not willing to resign.

They said that their party nazims of Katlang and Takhtbhai had resigned as per the agreement. They said they had called several meetings to resolve the issue but Mayar did not attend the meetings. They announced that JUI-F would quit the alliance in the district and sit on the opposition benches in the district assembly.

However, Himayatullah Mayar rejected the allegations and said that JUI-F since the very beginning had violated the agreement. He added that after the completion of the mentioned period of the agreement, he resigned the office but the local JUI-F leaders and office-bearers failed to make their nazims resign.