JUI-F may contest polls in merged districts

Party sources say leadership abandoned boycott idea

PESHAWAR: Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) has decided to contest upcoming provincial elections for tribal areas. The party has called up an important meeting in Peshawar on January 30 in which tribal area representatives from other parties have also been invited.

JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman had tasked the party's tribal organisation to formulate recommendations on whether or not to participate in the current year's election for provincial assembly constituencies representing tribal areas to be held in April or May. The party is still holding discussions on the matter.

However, sources within JUI F have revealed that the decision to participate in provincial elections for tribal areas has been finalised.

JUI-F has abandoned the idea to boycott the upcoming polls in erstwhile Fata, they said.

Commenting on the matter, JUI-F MNA and Fata's representative Mufti Abdul Shakoor said that discussions were still underway and a party meeting had been called for the purpose on January 30 to comprehensively review the strategy. “We demand that tribal districts should have 24 instead of proposed 16 general seats in the National Assembly,” he said, “we have already met with the prime minister in this regard and he has also formed a committee to review our proposal.”

Asked to confirm whether JUI F would participate in the upcoming elections, he said that it is possible but the announcement for this will be made on January 30 after party meeting.

According to 25th Constitutional Amendment, elections for the tribal areas must be held latest by July 25 this year. The election commission after delimitation of the constituencies is now busy in deciding appeals and resolving complaints and reservations.

The ECP has announced 16 general seats for the tribal areas in addition to four reserved seats and one reserved seat for women and minorities. After addition of the 21 seats, the number of provincial seats for KPK will increase from 125 to 145 comprising of 115 general seats, 26 reserved seats for women and 4 reserved seats for minorities. 

Published in The Express Tribune, January 24^th, 2019.