K-P voters to decide fate of five party chiefs

Nawaz, Gohar, Fazl, Siraj, Sherpao among top leaders in fray

PESHAWAR:

The general elections in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa offer several key contests as the province’s voters will decide the fate of at least five political party chiefs and six former chief ministers, besides a number of ex-federal and provincial ministers on February 8.

The previous elections in the province proved disastrous for several party chiefs, who lost to PTI candidates.

Naturally, the only party chief to secure a victory in the polls was the then-PTI chairman Imran Khan himself, who defeated former K-P chief minister Akram Durrani in Bannu.

Those who lost the elections to the PTI candidates in 2018 include PML-N President Shehbaz Sharif in Swat, PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari in Malakand, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman in Dera Ismail Khan; Jamaat-e-Islami Amir Sirajul Haq in Dir as well as both ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan and Qaumi Watan Party chief Aftab Sherpao in Charsadda.

However, this time the situation is different. All the PTI candidates are contesting as independent candidates. Shehbaz and Bilawal are not contesting in K-P. However, PML-N supremo Nawaz Sharif has entered the race for NA-15 Mansehra.

Nawaz’s son-in-law Capt (retd) Mohammad Safdar, who belongs to the Mansehra district, is running the election campaign for the PML-N supremo, who is scheduled to address a polls rally there soon.

The main rivals against Nawaz in the constituency will be former provincial minister Shahzada Gustasap Khan and JUI-F’s Mufti Kifayatullah. The PTI candidate in the constituency, Azam Swati, has already pulled out of the contest.

Former PML-N K-P president Engineer Amir Muqam is a candidate for two National Assembly seats – one in Swat and the other in Shangla.

Read also: 30 political bigwigs in the race from K-P

He is also running the race for a provincial assembly seat from the Swat district.

The JUI-F chief, who is a candidate for a National Assembly seat in the Pishin district of Balochistan, is also contesting for the constituency of NA-44 in his home district of Dera Ismail Khan. His main rivals are PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi and PTI provincial president Ali Amin Gandapur, who is contesting the election as an independent candidate.

PTI Chairman Gohar Ali Khan is trying his luck in NA-10 Buner as an independent candidate, facing a serious challenge from the candidates of the JI, ANP and JUI-F.

Gohar has contested elections from this constituency in the past. As a PPP candidate at that time, he turned out to be the runner-up.

PTI General Secretary Omar Ayub Khan is contesting as an independent candidate for NA-18 Haripur, competing against Babar Nawaz of the PML-N. Former National Assembly speaker Asad Qaiser of the PTI is running the race for NA-19 Swabi independently.

Senior PTI leader Sher Afazl Marwat, who has also filed his nomination papers for a constituency in the federal capital, is contesting as an independent candidate for NA-41 Lakki Marwat, where he expects a tough challenge from former federal minister Salim Saifullah Khan.

ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan, grandson of the late Wali Khan, is contesting against Maulana Gohar Shah of the JUI-F in NA-25 Charsadda. The late Wali Khan as well as his son Asfandyar Wali Khan – father of Aimal – both had contested in this constituency with mixed results.

QWP chief Sherpao is also a candidate for NA-24 Charsadda, while his son, the party’s provincial president, Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, is a candidate for a provincial assembly from the same district.

Read: K-P 56,000 personnel short for election duty

ANP’s provincial general secretary, Sardar Hussain Babak, is contesting for a provincial assembly seat, PK-27 Buner for the fifth consecutive time.

In this constituency, he lost the elections in 2002 but won all the polls since 2008.

ANP Senior Vice President Ameer Haider Khan Hoti is contesting for NA-22 Mardan, a seat he won in the 2018 general elections by narrowly defeating Atif Khan of the PTI.

ANP General Secretary Iftikhar Hussain is contesting for PK-89 Nowshera, facing Imran Khattak, son of PTI-Parliamentarian chief Pervez Khattak.

NA-32 of Peshawar constituency has a history. This constituency used to be NA-1 in the past where two former prime ministers, the late Benazir Bhutto, and now-incarcerated Imran Khan had contested. Former K-P chief minister Aftab Sherpao had also ran for this seat.

Senior ANP politician Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour is participating in the elections for a record 11th time. He faces PPP’s Abidullah Yousafzai, PML-N’s Sher Rehman, JI’s Tariq Mateen and PTI’s Asif Khan, who is contesting as an independent candidate.

Former PPP provincial presidents Najamuddin Khan for NA-5 Upper Dir and Anwar Saifullah for NA-43 Tank are in the fray. Another former provincial president Syed Zahir Ali Shah is contesting for PK-83, Peshawar against ANP’s Samar Haroon Bilour, JUI-F’s Haji Umar Ali and PML-N’s Sher Rehman.

The current provincial president of the party, Syed Muhammad Ali Shah Bacha and former president Humayun Khan, both are candidates for the provincial constituencies in Malakand.

Also read: PTI notifies candidates for K-P NA seats

PPP provincial general secretary Shuja Khan is in the field against Sardar Yusuf of the PML-N from Mansehra.

Among other PPP office-bearers, provincial information secretary Amjad Afridi is a candidate for a provincial assembly seat from Kohat, while his brother Abbas Afridi is a candidate for the National Assembly seat from the same district on a PML-N ticket.

JI chief Sirajul Haq is in the fray for NA-6 Dir Lower, while the provincial amir of the party, Prof Mohammad Ibrahim is a candidate for PK-102.

Former senior minister Inayatullah Khan is trying his luck in PK-13 constituency of the provincial assembly.

PTI-Parliamentarians Chairman Pervez Khattak is a candidate for NA-33 Nowshera and provincial assembly seat of PK-88.

In NA-33, he is competing against PML-N’s provincial information secretary Akhtar Wali Khan, ANP’s Khan Pervez, PTI’s Barrister Sarwar, who is running as an independent candidate.

JUI-F’s Ijazul Haq is contesting against Ibrahim Khattak and Ismail Khan, two sons of Pervez Khattak, for PK-85 and PK-86 Nowshera.

Former chief ministers Akram Khan Durrani and Mahmood Khan are trying their luck from Bannu and Swat, respectively.