Parties cancel rallies, postpone Mardan District Council session

MARDAN: On the request of the administration and police officials, leaders of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and other parties in the District Council announced to cancel rallies and postponed the council’s session scheduled to be held on Thursday.

Tension cropped up among the ANP, PTI, JUI-F and PPP members on the issue of not allotting seats to JUI-F on the opposition benches and also disallowing JUI-F parliamentary leader Maulana Amanat Shah to talk on a point of order in the District Council session held on Wednesday.

The opposition members became angry at the attitude of the District Nazim Himayatullah Mayar, who belongs to the ANP, and also the convener and tore the copies of agenda while chanting slogans against him. However, due to the tense situation, the District Nazim and Naib Nazim left the council meeting without delivering speeches.

Later, the opposition members reached the District Nazim’s office and allegedly removed the portraits of ANP’s late leaders Khan Abdul Ghaffar Khan (Bacha Khan) and Abdul Wali Khan from there. In retaliation, the ANP activists reached the PTI Tehsil Nazim Mohammad Ayub Khan’s office and broke the furniture there.

However, District Police Officer Mian Saeed Ahmed along with a contingent reached the District Nazim’s office to control the situation.

Later, addressing a crowded news conference at the Mardan Press Club, District Nazim Himayatullah Mayar, Naib Nazim Asad Ali, lawmaker Gohar Ali Shah and ANP office-bearers criticised the PTI activists for attacking the District Nazim’s office and removing the portraits of Quaid-e-Azam, Bacha Khan and Wali Khan and also disgracing the national flag.

Meanwhile, PTI’s opposition leader in the District Council Malik Shaukat, JUI-F’s Maulana Amanat Shah, Tehsil Nazim Ayub Khan and others criticised Himayatullah Mayar for resorting to the use of force after losing the majority in the District Council.

They accused the District Nazim of occupying three government bungalows. They also levelled charges of corruption against him.