TIMERGARA: Awami National Party spokesman Zahid Khan said here on Tuesday that it was the party’s mandate to award tickets to its candidates and urged the workers to run a door-to-door campaign for success of all party candidates in Lower Dir.

Flanked by party’s nominee for PK-15 Sajjad Yousafzai and local activists, the ANP leader told a press conference at his residence that though he had reservations about the award of party ticket in PK-13, once the party leaders intervened all differences were resolved.

Earlier, the party had issued ticket to Mukhtiar Khan, brother of Zahid Khan, for PK-94 (now PK-15), but after delimitation Mukhtiar applied for the ticket of PK-13, which the party awarded to Mohammad Zeb Khan and that of PK-15 to Sajjad Yousafzai. The party’s decision annoyed Zahid Khan. Later, party’s provincial president Ameer Haider Hoti visited the residence of Zahid Khan and succeeded to end the rift within the party.

“I have no differences with Sajjad Yousafzai as he is the party candidate for PK-15,” Zahid Khan said and urged the party activists to work hard for success of all the ANPcandidates in Lower Dir. He said that some elements within the party hatched a conspiracy to create differences among the party workers, but they had been failed.

ACTION ORDERED: Lower Dir deputy commissioner Sarmad Saleem Akram on Tuesday directed heads of education and local government departments in the district to take disciplinary actions against 13 of their employees on reports about their active involvement in politics.

A letter in this regard has been sent to the district education officer, district election commissioner and provincial high-ups. It reads that despite clear instructions some of the government employees have been found violating the election law. It said that the government employees taking active part in politics were guilty of misconduct under the rules.

Published in Dawn, July 4th, 2018