Ruling coalition partners in the Balochistan government on Tuesday agreed to elect Dr Kaleemullah Khan as the mayor of Quetta.
Dr Kaleemullah, a former provincial minister, belongs to Pashtoonkhwa Milli Awami Party (PkMAP).
After thorough consultations, PkMAP, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and National Party (NP) decided to field a unanimous candidate for the seat of city mayor.
Final round of local bodies elections is scheduled to be held in Quetta and other districts of Balochistan on January 28 (today).
The seat of deputy mayor in Quetta would be given to PML-N’s Younus Lehri as per the agreement struck among the coalition partners.
Addressing a joint press conference, PkMAP Provincial President Usman Kakar and PML-N Balochistan Secretary General Naseebullah Bazai claimed that the alliance has a clear majority to elect mayor and deputy mayor. “We formed an alliance in the interest of the citizens of Quetta,” Bazai said.
The All Parties Democratic Alliance (APDA) has nominated Qazi Abdul Qahir Achakzai as their candidate for mayor and Raza Wakeel for deputy mayor.
Achakzai belongs to the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (Ideological) and Raza Wakeel belongs to the Hazara Democratic Party (HDP).
A total of 10,600 councillors would elect 725 mayors, deputy mayors, chairmen and vice chairmen across the province during final phase of the elections.
The Election Commission has declared Zhob, Quetta, Killa Abdullah and Killa Saifullah districts as sensitive for security reasons.
