No-confidence motion: PTI removes own district nazim with rival’s support

ANP’s support helps party vote out district nazim, naib nazim

MANSEHRA: Setting a precedent for the entire province, PTI’s councillors, with support from members of their ANP rival, dislodged their own party’s district nazim and naib nazim through a vote of no-confidence on Monday.

The session was chaired by Hussain Ahmed Khan and both the outgoing nazim and naib nazim were present on the occasion. The convener, Hussain Ahmed khan, asked members to cast their votes on the move. The voting was held in a peaceful manner.

Through the show of hands, 17 members voted in favour of the no-confidence motion while only six were on the side of Torghar district nazim Noor Muhammad Khan. After the voting, the convener announced both nazim and naib nazim lost their seats and new representatives would be elected. A formal notification would also be issued of the removal of Noor Muhammad and naib nazim Shamzad Khan. However, the date for the next session has not yet been fixed.

On the occasion, the next prospective district nazim Dilroz Khan said this was a triumph of democracy. He added their action of tabling the no-confidence motion proved Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf believed in the supremacy of democracy. Dilroz said the nazims were voted against because of their anti-party approach.

On June 27, which was the previous session of the district assembly, a group of 17 members in the house of 23 belonging to PTI, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, moved the no-confidence motion against Torghar district nazim and naib nazim. On the occasion, opposition leader Nasir Khan had presented a charge sheet against the district nazim and had demanded his removal as according to him, the district nazim had lost the moral authority to stay in the office when two-thirds of the majority had turned against him.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 5^th, 2016.