M A N S E H R A : Differences emerged within the Pakistan Tehreek-iInsaf as a disgruntled group on Friday decided to remove the party`s opposition leader in the district council.

`Our opposition leader in the district council Shahid Rafiq is trying to cover up corruption of the PML-N`s district government to serve personal ends and therefore, he should be removed from his office,` district councillor and dissident group leader Rafiq Tanoli told a meeting at Ghazikot Township here.

The meeting, which was attended by a majority of PTI district councillors, decided to replace opposition leader Shahid Rafiq with Rafiq Tanoli.

Mr Tanoli, Gulnaz Shah and others criticised Mr Rafiq for alleged linl(s with the nazim.

`We don`t want such an opposition leader who is gaining personal benefits by ignoring the legal rights of his own party`s councillor,` Mr Shah said.

He alleged that the nazim deprived the PTI councillors of the annual development programme in the current and previous years but Mr Rafiq didn`t raise voice against it.

Mr Tanoli said Mr Rafiq would be removed from his office in the next meeting of the council to be held soon.

However, Ambereen Swati opposed the idea of removing Mr Rafiq saying if anybody had solid evidence of his secret links with nazim, then he should take them to the parliamentary party for action.

`I cannot support suchunsubstantiated claims, she said.

NO-TRUST MOTION: A no-confidence motion moved by a dissident group against the ANP district president in Torghar failed on Friday.

Former provincial minister Nimroz Khan and his group had moved the motion against Zargul Jamal Hassanzai last month after former MNA Laig Mohammad Khan joined the party.

Mr Nimroz didn`t welcome Mr Laiq, the younger brother of PTI Senator Azam Khan Swati, to the party, and tabled a no-confidence motion against Mr Hassanzai, who convinced him to join the ANP.

ANP provincial president Ameer Haider Khan Hoti had formed a committee to hold voting on the motion but the dissident group didn`t produce the required number against Mr Hassanzai and thus, failing the motion.

As a result, Mr Hassanzai retained his office for another one-year term.

ROAD ACCIDENT: Two people were feared dead after a car plunged into the Indus in Shitial area of Upper Kohistan district late on Thursday.

The incident occurred after the car bound for Shitail from Puttan after the driver lost the car`s control negotiating a sharp turn.

The police said divers had begun search for the driver and another man riding the car, who were feared to be dead.

They said they had begun investigation to know the cause of accident after registering FIR.

Also in the day, a boy, Azam Shah, committed suicide in Lassan Thakra area of Mansehra district after having heated exchanges with family members over a domestic issue.

The police registered FIR and began investigation to ascertain the exact cause of the death.