- All other parties and candidates have withdrawn their nominations in support of Sadiq
Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA) member of National Assembly GG Jamal on Sunday announced that he was withdrawing in favour of PML-N candidate for National Assembly Speaker Sardar Ayaz Sadiq, whereas Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) has also announced its support for Ayaz Sadiq.
He took the decision after the government agreed to form a committee for political and constitutional reforms in FATA. The committee would include ministers for states and frontier regions and finance.
Sardar Ayaz Sadiq met Jamal on Sunday and requested him to withdraw in his favour.
During the meeting, FATA members demanded support for political reforms in FATA in exchange for their withdrawal from the election and handed their demands to Sardar Ayaz Sadiq in writing. Ayaz Sadiq assured them of conveying their message to the government.
Talking to media after the meeting, Ayaz Sadiq said “We’ll try to get the people of FATA their rights,” he said. He said that FATA members would consult with each other and inform of the decision they have made at dinner.
Haji Shah Gul Afridi said on this occasion that the FATA members did not table any political demands. “We want the speaker to be uncontroversial and that is why we didn’t put forward any personal agenda. We fielded the candidate only to get our demand accepted,” said Afridi.
Afridi said that Ayaz Sadiq has assured the FATA members that Zahid Hamid will discuss the bill with Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. “We hope that the people of FATA will enjoy the same rights as the other citizens of Pakistan,” he said.