Electoral cooperation: JI, PML-N agree on seat adjustment in Bannu

Leaders from both parties vow to support each other’s candidates.

BANNU: Negotiations between the Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) finally bore fruit on Wednesday with both parties agreeing to seat adjustments in Bannu district on PK-70 and NA-26 seats.

JI provincial chief Professor Muhammad Ibrahim and PML-N former MNA Malik Nasir Khan told journalists at the Bannu Press Club that both leaders had worked out a seat adjustment plan and will be supporting each other in the election race.

Ibrahim said JI’s parliamentary board had given two options to the party’s district political setup – either to contest on its own or to adjust seats with other parties.

Ibrahim informed he had filed an application to contest for NA-26 and PK-70 seats from the district, while Malik had also submitted his papers to contest for the provincial assembly and as an independent candidate for the National Assembly.



It was decided during negotiations between the two parties that Ibrahim would withdraw from the PK-70 seat in favour of Malik, while Malik would withdraw from the NA-26 seat and support Ibrahim instead.

In his address, Malik said PML-N leadership’s decision to award a ticket to Akhtar Ali for the NA seat has created rifts among many party activists in Bannu who will now be supporting Ibrahim for the seat.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 18^th, 2013.