Pulling out: Two candidates withdraw from by-polls

Fayaz Ali Shah and Mian Hussain Jalali pledge to continue working for welfare of people.

HANGU/ PESHAWAR:

Two candidates withdrew their nominations from the by-elections on Monday.

Independent candidate Fayaz Ali Shah and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam Fazl’s (JUI-F) candidate Mian Hussain Jalali withdrew from NA-1, Peshawar and PK-42, Hangu, respectively. Shah maintained he did not withdraw in favour of any party, adding he would continue to make efforts for the development of the city.

Meanwhile, JUI-F candidate Mian Hussain Jalali announced in a press conference in Hangu he had withdrawn from the race for PK-42. He said the decision was taken upon the directives of the party’s leaders for the sake of restoration of peace and to secure the rights of the deprived people of Hangu. “JUI-F will continue to serve the people of the district,” he added.

Another candidate, former MPA Atiqur Rehman’s nephew, had already withdrawn from the race earlier.

A tough contest is expected over PK-42 between independent candidates Maulana Zahir Shah, Shah Faisal and Sayed Hussaini. However, Faisal seems stronger after Jalali stepped down.

Party leaders including former MNA Akhunzada Muhammad Sadeeq, Mufti Mumtazuddin and other local leaders were also present at the press conference.

Dissention within PTI

Samad Mursaleen, a disgruntled member of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), on Monday said he would neither give up his party’s membership nor withdraw his candidature in favour of PTI’s nominated candidate for NA-1.

Addressing a news conference at Peshawar Press Club, Mursaleen said he was still a member of PTI and among the party’s pioneers in Peshawar. “PTI has not issued a notice to me to leave the party nor has it issued any show-cause notice for contesting elections against the party’s candidate, Gul Badshah,” he said.

“There are rumours floating that I have withdrawn in favour of Badshah. These rumours are wrong because I do not even consider Badshah to be eligible for a party ticket,” said Mursaleen.

The disgruntled leader said PTI Chairman Imran Khan sent him a message for a meeting during his visit to Peshawar, but Mursaleen refused to meet Khan as the chief would surely demand his withdrawal, which Mursaleen was not willing to do. “I strongly believe in the leadership of Imran Khan and will gift him the NA-1 seat after winning it.”

Aside from declining to meet Khan, Mursaleen has also refused to meet Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser, Health Minister Shaukat Yousafzai and other senior PTI members. “The provincial leadership ignored me and gave a ticket to a person who is incapable of winning. Now they are using the state machinery to
make him win the elections,” alleged Mursaleen.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 20^th, 2013.