People have set their eyes on Convener elections as the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) prepare for a tough contest in four tehsils of Abbottabad district. According to the District Election Commission sources, the provincial election commission has sent the summary for the appointment of Returning Officers for these elections.
A new post of Presiding Officer has been established to run the Tehsil Council in all the tehsils of the province in the Local Government Elections. The presiding officer will be the Convener who will run the Council. In two Tehsils of Abbottabad, including Havelian and Lora, the PML-N candidates are expected to win, while the PTI candidates are likely to be elected as conveners in Abbottabad and Lower Tanawal Tehsil.
The PML-N leadership had invited 30 members of Tehsil Council Havelian for deliberations in Islamabad, while the PTI members were called for a meeting at Peshawar where they met KP Chief Minister Mahmood Khan.
The CM has promised a grant of five million rupees per tehsil member. Although in Tehsil Havelian the position of PML-N candidate for convener is strong, independent candidate Atif Munsif who won Tehsil Chairman Havelian elections later joined the PTI. The situation of Tehsil Havelian is also changing and most of the members of the Council met Tehsil Chairman Atif Munsif Khan and they have assured of support to the PTI candidate for convener.
District Election Commissioner Abbottabad has sent a summary for the appointment of Returning Officer and within a few days, RO would be assigned who will issue the schedule for the convener’s election. All Tehsil Council members will exercise their right to vote.
Over eight months into the new local government system, the convener’s election could not be held, and the provincial government has added the post of the presiding officer in the Tehsil council by amending the Local Government Act. Conveners will be elected to run the Tehsil Council affairs.—APP
