JI leaders to support independent candidate in PK-85

KARAK: Differences have cropped up in the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) Karak chapter after Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) decided to support a dissident member of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Javed Iqbal Khattak running for PK-85 as an independent candidate.

Mian Nisar Gul is the MMA candidate for the constituency.

Speaking at a press conference, JI leaders announced that they would support Javed Iqbal.

JI member of parliamentary committee Maulana Mahboob Janan, JI district vice-presidents Hakeem Shah and Azam Humayun spoke on the occasion.

The JI leaders argued that the names of Col (Retd) Muhammad Khan of JI and Javed Iqbal Khattak of the JUI-F had been sent to the MMA's provincial parliamentary committee for the award of ticket for PK-85. The provincial parliamentary committee had sent the two names to central committee but former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani included the name of Mian Nisar Gul for the award of ticket for PK-85.

They said that it was a unilateral decision so they were not ready to accept it.

They claimed that Mian Nisar Gul, who had been elected from PK-85, had committed corruption. He said Javed Iqbal was not a corrupt person, therefore, the JI was supporting him.

Javed Iqbal and JI leaders alleged that Mian Nisar Gul and Akram Durrani were plotting to usurp the oil and gas royalty funds of Karak in return for the MMA ticket to him.