Local government polls: Opposition unites to keep PTI away from mayor’s seat

Announce tripartite alliance for Peshawar, ruling coalition follows suit.

PESHAWAR:

Just as opposition parties turned the tables on Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) in the by-polls for NA-1 by forming a four-party alliance, they are now on the prowl for a similar conquest in the local government (LG) polls.

Recently, Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUIF) decided to allow their district chapters to enter into an alliance with other political forces for the upcoming polls.

Similarly, other opposition parties are also making efforts to reach a consensus to jointly contest LG elections even if alliances are only limited to Peshawar.

Awami National Party (ANP), JUI-F and PPP have held at least two meetings over the past few days to discuss a coalition in Peshawar. Party leaders have also formed a 15-member committee to discuss seat adjustments across the provincial capital.



“We have agreed, in principle, to look for fielding joint candidates in Peshawar,” JUI-F leader Abdul Jalil Jan, who is also the secretary for the tripartite committee, told The Express Tribune. Jan said the committee met twice recently, whereas two more meetings are scheduled for January 1 and 2 where an agreement on seat adjustments is expected to be reached.

While Jan maintained the focus of such efforts was currently the provincial capital, he did not rule out the possibility of extending alliances to other parts of the province. “If the parties agree, the idea of extending this coalition to other parts of K-P can also be considered,” said Jan.

The tripartite alliance in Peshawar primarily seems to be designed to keep Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and its allies from winning the city’s mayor seat. A four-party alliance in the August by-elections had clinching the coveted NA-1 seat vacated by Imran Khan in a similar fashion.



PTI and its allies seem to be aware of the potential development. On Thursday, leaders of the Peshawar chapters of these parties sat down to discuss the LG polls’ strategy, and came up with the decision of a similar alliance to contest the elections.

Following a meeting between Jamaat-e-Islami’s Peshawar chief Baharullah Khan and PTI City President Yasir Khan Khalil, JI claimed both parties have agreed to field joint candidates for the upcoming elections.

The JI statement said both parties will hold meetings again during the first week of January to chalk out details of the proposed cooperation. Both parties have also extended an invitation to other parties willing to be part of their seat adjustments programme for the LG polls.

Though the schedule for the elections is yet to be issued, K-P Minister for Local Government and Rural Development Inayatullah Khan earlier hinted the polls are most likely to be held between mid-March and April.

Published in The Express Tribune, December 29^th, 2013.