PTI forms boards for LB candidatures

Tripartite alliance kicks off election campaign in Swat.

MINGORA/ PESHAWAR: Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) provincial chapter on Saturday issued a notification for constituting district parliamentary boards to scrutinise applications and recommend candidates for the upcoming local bodies’ (LB) polls.

According to the statement, the boards will comprise elected office bearers of the party from each district. The notification quoted PTI K-P General Secretary Khalid Masood saying district-level disputes and concerns of candidates will be addressed by the provincial parliamentary board.

“The provincial board will have the final say in the selection of suitable candidates,” he said.

In answer to the show of muscle by the tripartite alliance of ANP, JUI-F and PPP, PTI and its coalition partners JI and AJIP announced to contest the LB elections together, on Friday. The province’s ruling parties hinted towards a possible seat adjustment, however, they will participate in the polls under their separate banners.

In the opposing camp, the alliance of opposition parties has already begun warming up and started its election campaign in Swat. While alliance members are confident of pulverising the province’s ruling parties, PTI and JI have announced to put luck to test under their manifestos from the 2013 general elections.

According to statistics provided by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), with 67 wards, Swat district comprises 214 local councils – 170 village and 44 neighbourhood councils. The residents of Swat will elect a total of 111 representatives during the polls.

A senior ECP official requesting anonymity told The Express Tribune the commission will allot 164 symbols to the participating political parties across the country. “The list includes 16 parties that will contest the LB polls for the first time,” he said.

Cantonment polls

Cantonment Board Peshawar (CBP) has issued the final list of councillor candidates for the upcoming cantonment polls on Saturday. A total of 53 candidates have been given the green light to vie for the five wards of CBP, while the nomination papers of seven have been rejected.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 5^th, 2015.