Opposition finally unites on eve of Senate by-polls
ANP sits in favour of PPP but questions remain on ability to compete with govt
PHOTO: FILE
PESHAWAR:
On the eve of the Senate by-polls, the opposition parties in the provincial assembly finally put aside all their differences to agree on a united candidate. However, the government is working on its strategy to win the polls.
Until Sunday, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were at loggerheads on whether they should field separate candidates or if one should withdraw in favour of the other However, neither party appeared willing to concede any ground.
The ANP had fielded former provincial minister Haji Hedayatullah Khan, while the PPP had decided to field its provincial finance secretary Farzand Ali. They are up against former PPP Senator Khanzada Khan’s son Zeeshan who has been given a ticket by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The PPP, whose Senator and former provincial president Khanzada Khan had quit the party recently, thereby automatically relinquishing his seat in the upper house of Parliament, felt that they should have the opportunity to win back their seat.
The ANP, however, felt that they should lead the opposition campaign for the seat against the government given how the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — whose coalition under the banner of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is the largest opposition party in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly — had decided not to contest the polls. Being the second-largest opposition party, they felt they were entitled to the seat.
However, the JUI-F and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) both backed the PPP candidate, leaving the ANP a mountain to climb.
The ANP leaders met with a delegation from the PPP comprising its provincial president Humayun Khan, General Secretary Faisal Kareem Kundi and the candidate Ali at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Monday.
The PPP leaders convinced the ANP to withdraw their candidate so that the votes of the opposition are not divided. The ANP agreed to this and decided to withdraw its candidate.
PTI strategy
The ruling party, however, has summoned a meeting of all its lawmakers in the provincial assembly at the Chief Minister House on Tuesday before the session.
During the meeting, a strategy for the upcoming by-polls will be decided. Subsequently, all PTI lawmakers will head to the provincial assembly from the CM House in the form of groups to cast their votes.
K-P Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai commented that his party enjoys a clear majority in the provincial assembly, adding that the opposition was wasting its time despite knowing this.
He asserted that a coalition of opposition parties will not affect the government’s campaign in any way.
He added that the PTI candidate is expected to easily secure the minimum 73 votes required to win with the party boasting a whopping 95 seats in the 145-member house. Moreover, it also expects to secure votes from the solitary Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and two independent members.
The count could further increase if all four members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) decide to vote in favour of the PTI, potentially taking the total to 102 votes.
The opposition, however, only has 43 votes available. However, even if the party woos the independents Amjad Afridi and Mir Kalam along with BAP, it will still struggle to make up the numbers.
ECP reviews preparation
Meanwhile, the provincial election commission reviewed arrangements made for Tuesday’s election in the K-P Assembly hall.
K-P Election Commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad met with Assembly Secretary Nasrullah Khan on Monday and discussed matters about the secret balloting process. The process will commence early on Tuesday at 9am and will continue until 4pm without any break.
Maqbool said that assembly cards have been issued to all 145 parliamentarians. He added that no one will be allowed to cast their vote without it.
Moreover, he said that he will be serving as the presiding officer for the election, while five other polling officers will be available, including Election Director Khushal Zada, Deputy Director Syed Zahoor Shah, Law Officer Riaz Ahmad, Deputy Director Naveed Rehman and Public Relations Officer Sohail Ahmad.
To ensure the peaceful conduct of the polls, Maqbool has asked all relevant departments to take appropriate security measures.
The by-polls will be the first time in the history of the province that all 20 members from the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas, including 16 on general and four on reserved seats will exercise their right to vote in the elections after the merger of the tribal areas with the settled areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2019.
On the eve of the Senate by-polls, the opposition parties in the provincial assembly finally put aside all their differences to agree on a united candidate. However, the government is working on its strategy to win the polls.
Until Sunday, the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) were at loggerheads on whether they should field separate candidates or if one should withdraw in favour of the other However, neither party appeared willing to concede any ground.
The ANP had fielded former provincial minister Haji Hedayatullah Khan, while the PPP had decided to field its provincial finance secretary Farzand Ali. They are up against former PPP Senator Khanzada Khan’s son Zeeshan who has been given a ticket by the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
The PPP, whose Senator and former provincial president Khanzada Khan had quit the party recently, thereby automatically relinquishing his seat in the upper house of Parliament, felt that they should have the opportunity to win back their seat.
The ANP, however, felt that they should lead the opposition campaign for the seat against the government given how the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) — whose coalition under the banner of Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) is the largest opposition party in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) Assembly — had decided not to contest the polls. Being the second-largest opposition party, they felt they were entitled to the seat.
However, the JUI-F and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) both backed the PPP candidate, leaving the ANP a mountain to climb.
The ANP leaders met with a delegation from the PPP comprising its provincial president Humayun Khan, General Secretary Faisal Kareem Kundi and the candidate Ali at the Bacha Khan Markaz on Monday.
The PPP leaders convinced the ANP to withdraw their candidate so that the votes of the opposition are not divided. The ANP agreed to this and decided to withdraw its candidate.
PTI strategy
The ruling party, however, has summoned a meeting of all its lawmakers in the provincial assembly at the Chief Minister House on Tuesday before the session.
During the meeting, a strategy for the upcoming by-polls will be decided. Subsequently, all PTI lawmakers will head to the provincial assembly from the CM House in the form of groups to cast their votes.
K-P Information Minister Shaukat Ali Yousafzai commented that his party enjoys a clear majority in the provincial assembly, adding that the opposition was wasting its time despite knowing this.
He asserted that a coalition of opposition parties will not affect the government’s campaign in any way.
He added that the PTI candidate is expected to easily secure the minimum 73 votes required to win with the party boasting a whopping 95 seats in the 145-member house. Moreover, it also expects to secure votes from the solitary Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and two independent members.
The count could further increase if all four members of the Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) decide to vote in favour of the PTI, potentially taking the total to 102 votes.
The opposition, however, only has 43 votes available. However, even if the party woos the independents Amjad Afridi and Mir Kalam along with BAP, it will still struggle to make up the numbers.
ECP reviews preparation
Meanwhile, the provincial election commission reviewed arrangements made for Tuesday’s election in the K-P Assembly hall.
K-P Election Commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad met with Assembly Secretary Nasrullah Khan on Monday and discussed matters about the secret balloting process. The process will commence early on Tuesday at 9am and will continue until 4pm without any break.
Maqbool said that assembly cards have been issued to all 145 parliamentarians. He added that no one will be allowed to cast their vote without it.
Moreover, he said that he will be serving as the presiding officer for the election, while five other polling officers will be available, including Election Director Khushal Zada, Deputy Director Syed Zahoor Shah, Law Officer Riaz Ahmad, Deputy Director Naveed Rehman and Public Relations Officer Sohail Ahmad.
To ensure the peaceful conduct of the polls, Maqbool has asked all relevant departments to take appropriate security measures.
The by-polls will be the first time in the history of the province that all 20 members from the erstwhile federally administered tribal areas, including 16 on general and four on reserved seats will exercise their right to vote in the elections after the merger of the tribal areas with the settled areas.
Published in The Express Tribune, November 26th, 2019.