MARDAN
Majority of the opposition parties have finalized their candidates for the slot of mayor ship of Mardan while the ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has failed to finalize its candidate due to the grouping in the party, sources said.
Awami National Party (ANP) has allotted mayor ship ticket to former district nazim Himayatullah Mayar, JUI-F to former MPA Maulana Amant Shah, Pakistan People’s Party to former naib district nazim Asad Ali Kashmiri, PML-N to Syed Inayat Shah Bacha, JI to former naib tehsil nazim tehsil Mardan Mushtaq Seemab.
The sources in the PTI said that after the 2018 elections when the PTI came in power in the province, the PTI divided into two groups in Mardan district.
One group is led by provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan included by two members of provincial assembly (MPA) Zahir Shah Toru and Tufail Anjum.
Other MPAs including Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Amir Farzand Khan, Abdus Salam Afridi, Malak Shoukat have started supporting Federal Minister for defense Pervez Khattak. More than six candidates have submitted nomination papers for the slot of mayor ship of Mardan tehsil from PTI.
The sources added that three candidates including Mohammad Ayaz Khan former tehsil member Rural Mardan, Tariq Mahmood Aryani former general secretary, Lakhkar Khan son of former tehsil member late Mohmand Khan is affiliated with Mohammad Atif Khan group. Sources added that Sajid Iqbal Mohmand, former naib nazim of neighborhood council Bicket Ganj and general secretary City and Kaleemullah Toru president Sports and Cultural Wing Mardan rural is affiliated to the other group. Sources added that Naeem Anwar, a former district member has also submitted nomination papers however he isn’t affiliated to any group.
Sources added five union council of provincial constituency of Mohammad Atif Khan is include in Tehsil Mardan while two union council of Amir Farzand Khan, one union council of Iftikhar Ali Mashwani constituency while whole constituency of Abdul Salam Afridi and Zahir Shah Toru is included in Tehsil Mardan.
Sources added that a few days ago provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan has called the meeting of those candidates who submitted nomination papers for five tehsil of Mardan. Sources added that MPA Iftikhar Ali Mashwani has also called the meeting of those candidates at his residence who submitted nomination papers. Sources added that Mohammad Atif Khan allegedly wanted to allot a ticket to Tariq Mahmood Aryani for the slot of mayor ship of Mardan tesil because Tariq Aryani is very close to him. Source added that in the cantonment board election Atif Khan group allotted ticket to Naeem Khan.
However when the other group started supporting him Atif Khan group allegedly started opposing him due to which he lost the cantonment election with13 votes. Sources added that only Iftikhar Ali Mashwani held successful worker convention for the local government election in Mardan district. Majority of the opposition party’s candidates have started campaigning for the upcoming local government election.
Independent observer said that there is no strong and popular candidate with PTI to contest election against ANP candidate Himayatullah Mayar who remained district nazim and member of national assembly and has extensive experience of local government and also popular in Mardan district.
