Local government elections: JUI-F asks district chapters to finalise list of candidates

District chapters asked to settle details of the coalition with other parties of the tripartite alliance.

PESHAWAR:

Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has asked its district chapters to finalise the list of party candidates contesting in the upcoming local government (LG) polls by April 15.

While speaking at a press conference at the party’s headquarters, JUI-F’s provinicial vice amir Maulana Attaur Rehman said the party’s general council has also asked district chapters to settle details of the coalition with other parties of the tripartite alliance.

According to Rehman, district chapters have been asked to finalise their candidates at tehsil and union council levels. He said that from Tuesday Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Rahimdad Khan will assume the position of tripartite alliance president, while the general secretary’s post will go to JUI-F’s Haji Ghulam Ali and Awami National Party’s (ANP) Syed Aqil Shah will be the vice president.

The tripartite alliance offices rotate among constituent parties on a monthly basis and the ANP had taken charge during the first month, while JUI-F was looking after it during the second month of its formation.

Rehman added his party had accepted the Jamaat-e-Islami’s (JI) request to participate in the peace conference scheduled for April 3. This was decided after a JI delegation met with the JUI-F leadership on Monday.

On May 31, he said, the party was planning on organising a conference for 5,000 seminary students from across the province.

Rehman also condemned the attack on JUI-F Sindh general secretary Dr Khalid Mehmood Somroo and asked the PPP government to arrest those responsible.

Responding to a question about the formation of a forward bloc in the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, he said it was an internal party matter.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2014.