Final round: PTI kits up for city’s LG throne

Party set to reign supreme in nine districts of province.

PESHAWAR:

With the reserved seats election process completed across the province, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf looks set to tighten its grip over local governments in nine districts.

Imran Khan and Co’s territorial share also includes the helm of power in Peshawar, PTI will form governments in three towns of the city and also bring in its own district nazim. So far, three PTI leaders have emerged as potential candidates for the post. Younis Zaheer, Malik Qasim Ali Shah and Malik Arbab Asim have been the subject of a heated debate within party circles.

According to insiders, most of the senior leaders have taken their pick with Zaheer. Hearsay of him being a dual national was rejected by the party’s central organiser Jahangir Khan Tareen. However, there exists a camp of people like Minister for Public Health Engineering Shah Farman, who believe Zaheer’s running of a law firm in the United Kingdom might make the situation a little sticky. The issue will certainly be on the cards when the aforementioned hopefuls, and 38 others vying for nazim and naib nazim seats in other districts, will be interviewed at K-P House, Islamabad on Friday.

More awaited

With talks under way in numerous districts, the party’s scope of influence within the lower echelon of government will only increase.

Read: Lead up to local government polls: PTI saw its chance in PPP’s fall, says Shah Mehmood

According to statistics tabulated by The Express Tribune, PTI is leading the line in Peshawar, Nowshera, DI Khan, Haripur, Abbottabad, Tank, Kohat, Karak and Battagram. While the situation is still hairy for the party in selected tehsils, it is safe to assume PTI will bring in its nazims in the aforementioned districts.



Even though it is doing well in Swat, Mardan, Buner and Malakand, PTI has yet to completely pin opposition parties down in these areas. Meanwhile, with help from Qaumi Watan Party, it might just be able to overturn Awami National Party in its hometown of Charsadda. While ANP and PTI are staunch rivals on the face, their district chapters in Shangla, Hangu and Torghar have paid little attention to their own policies and joined hands.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 21^st, 2015.