Re-polls: PTI, QWP, JI reaffirm joining hands in Charsadda district

Party workers of lower cadres do not react well to move

SHABQADAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, Qaumi Watan Party and Jamaat-e-Islami alliance in Charsadda for local government re-polls comes amid widespread differences among party workers. The decision announced at a meeting on Thursday evening in Charsadda comes a day after the same parties said they would join hands to form district and tehsil governments.

During Thursday’s meeting, alliance leaders told journalists all three parties will support each other during the re-polls on July 30. Although their leaderships joined hands to give the tripartite alliance of opposition parties a run for their money, workers at the lower level have not reacted well to the move.

The race for Panjpao

An insider told The Express Tribune JI’s candidate for a tehsil council seat for Panjpao union council in Shabqadar refused to withdraw his candidature, saying he will not support a PTI candidate.



“JI’s candidate Bakht Muhammad is contesting against PTI’s Ghafarullah Sheikh,” he said. “When the leadership asked him to withdraw his candidature, Bakht refused to do as he is likely to win the seat with support from QWP. JI is supporting QWP on the district level while QWP is supporting JI on the tehsil level against PTI. Both parties are certain they will defeat PTI.”

Win-win

Nevertheless, PTI Charsadda Deputy Organiser Shahidullah said PTI, QWP and JI have decided to support each other in those union councils where they are not contesting against each another.

“PTI and QWP are contesting against each other in Rashakai and Hasanzai union councils,” he told The Express Tribune. “It won’t make a difference if candidates from either party win in these union councils. At the end of the day, it will be the victory of our alliance. But we will support each other in Shabqadar MC-II, Shodag and Zaim against the tripartite alliance.”

Best interest

Although PTI is supporting QWP in these union councils, the party’s leadership in Tangi has vehemently opposed the move and thrown their weight behind district council candidate Zolan Khan Sherpao instead of a QWP candidate. However, Shahidullah said Zolan is unlikely to win the re-polls.

“If PTI does not support QWP, then Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl will have a chance to win,” he said. “At this stage, it is in the best interests of the party to support QWP rather than its own candidate.”

According to Shahidullah, dissatisfaction among party workers about the decision has made ANP and JUI-F optimistic about their victory in the re-polls.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 25^th, 2015.