MANSEHRA: Sticking to its slogan of change, Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf on Thursday awarded the party ticket for the slot of district nazim to its former district president Shafahat Ali. However, the decision has created a challenge for the party to muster enough support from other parties for his success.

Four district councilors-elect, including Shehryar Khan the nephew of Senator Azam Khan Swati Shafahat Ali, Fida Khan and Shahid Rafique had applied for the party ticket for the top slot. The party`s parliamentary board awarded the ticket to Shafahat Ali.

The political scenario here completelychanged following this development and now importance of Pakistan Peoples Party in formation of the district government has gained a key role as neither PTI nor Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz could form the district government without the support of PPP.

The PPP had earlier announced to support Sheryar Khan unconditionally if PTI awarded him the nazim ticket.

With 33 councillors PML-N is the leading party in the 88-member council, followed by PTI with 32 councillors. The PPP has 11 councillors, JUI-F and QWP four each and JI two.

A minimum of 44 councillors are needed for any party to instal its government, as results of two union councils are still awaited owing to re-polling in Kawai union council and death of a contender in Hilkot union council.

`None of the leading and runner-up parties in Mansehra can form the district government without our party`s support, but we are still firm on our stand and want support of both thePTI and PML-N for our contender for the nazim slot,` Malik Farooq, PPP district president, told reporters here.

He said that both the PTI and PML-N were in search of PPP divisional president Shuja Salim Khan, but could not reach him even through phone. He claimed that Chief Minister Pervez Khattak had also tried to cont act him.

Mr Farooq said that his party was in a strong position to form its own district government with the support of either PTI or PML-N. He reiterated his party`s stance that they would never accept naib nazim slot.

A PTI leader said on condition of anonymity that his party had taken a good decision to award ticket to its former district president, but now the entire game had gone into the hands of PPP.

`I am pleased to see that my party has taken a bold decision of awarding ticket to a deserving worker,` he said.