PTI suffers jolt in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) suffered a major setback as its disgruntled councillors aligned with Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PLM-N) and defeated PTI candidates in the election for district nazim and naib nazim slots.
Sardar Sher Bahadur, a former president of PTI Abbottabad, and Shaukat Tanoli, another old PTI ideologue, were elected district nazim and naib nazim of Abbottabad respectively. They defeated Ali Khan Jadoon, son of former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon, and Sardar Waqar Nabi, son of former provincial minister Sardar Ghulam Nabi. They were the nominees of PTI for the prized positions.
The election, which was presided over by Assistant Commissioner Abbottabad Mir Raza as Returning Officer, took a new turn when disgruntled PTI group filed nomination papers against the officially nominated party candidates.
Later, the PML-N candidates for district and naib nazim slots withdrew nomination papers.
Sardar Sher Bahadur, who was earlier elected nazim from Kehal Union Council as independent candidate against the PTI candidate Sardar Umair, brother-in-law of Provincial Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani later re-joined the party.
He got 41 votes in the 77-member district council. Sardar Sher was declared district nazim. His rival candidate Ali Khan Jadoon of PTI polled only 33 votes. Shaukat Tanoli was elected district naib nazim. He defeated PTI’s Sardar Waqar Nabi by securing 41 votes against 33.
The defeat of PTI candidates at the hands of its dissident workers with the support of PML-N has dealt a serious blow to the provincial ministers Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani and Qalandar Khan Lodhi and is seen as victory for PML-N in Abbottabad.
In the Havelian tehsil, PTI despite having majority lost to PML-N candidates Sardar Asad Pervez, who was elected nazim, and Habibullah elected naib nazim. They defeated PTI candidates Iftikhar Khan and Tahir Habib.
The PTI was leading with 11 members in Havelian, but its candidate could poll only five votes as the dissident PTI councillors supported the PML-N candidate in return for its support for the election of district nazim and naib nazim in Abbottabad.