ANP, PTI join hands for Hangu district, tehsil govts

Asfandyar’s party calls quits on alliance with JUI-F

HANGU: Even as their provincial leaders call for each other’s heads for rigging local government polls, Awami National Party and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf have cut a deal to form district and tehsil governments in Hangu. Incidentally, this grass roots alliance has been formed as the tripartite alliance of opposition parties, on the provincial level, is asking for the dismissal of Pervez Khattak’s administration.

ANP district councillor Abdul Shahid’s brother Senator Aurangzeb Orakzai, ANP district president Muhammad Yousaf, PTI MNA Khayal Zaman and Hangu chapter chief Advocate Noor Awaz decided upon the new alliance in a meeting on Saturday.

Currently, ANP’s alliance partner Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl is leading with nine district councillor seats in Hangu. PTI managed to win three while ANP won only two. Breaking ties with JUI-F, the ANP has decided to seek refuge in the PTI camp, counting on Hangu’s five independents to help undermine JUI-F’s majority.

Addressing a joint press conference, Awaz and Yousaf gave the ‘reason’ for the sudden change of heart – socio-economic uplift of the district. The leaders said both parties will work on the same agenda and the parties are formal allies for the next phase.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 7^th, 2015.