K-P, FATA: Jamaat-e-Islami awards tickets for all but 2 seats

Party will not field candidates in two constituencies; will run for 88 of total 99 provincial assembly seats.

PESHAWAR:

The Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter of Jamaat-e-Islami has unveiled its candidates for national and provincial constituencies in the province and adjoining tribal areas on Wednesday.

Thirty-three candidates will be running for 35 National Assembly seats in the K-P, while it has named 88 candidates for 99 provincial assembly seats of the province. The politico-religious party will field candidates for all 12 National Assembly constituencies in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata).

The nominations were announced by JI provincial general secretary Shabbir Ahmed Khan in a press conference at Al-Markaz Al-Islami.

Shabbir will run for NA-I (Peshawar I) against Awami National Party’s Haji Ghaulam Ahmed Bilour.

JI’s Provincial Ameer Professor Mohammad Ibrahim Khan will contest NA-26 (Bannu) against PPP’s Provincial President Anwar Saifullah Khan and former K-P chief minister Akram Khan Durrani, who belongs to the JUI-F.

The JI has left two seats – NA-14 (Kohat) and NA-25 (DI Khan-cum-Tank) – vacant. Former JI chief Qazi Hussain Ahmed’s son will run for NA-5 (Nowshera I).

In Malakand, the stronghold of Jamaat-e-Islami, Sahibzada Tariqullah has been awarded ticket for NA-33 (Upper Dir), Sahibzada Yaqoob for NA-34 (Lower Dir), Bakhtiar Maani for NA-35 (Malakand Protected Area) and Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali for NA-32 (Chitral).

In Fata, the party’s regional chief, Haroon Rashid, will run for NA-43 (Tribal Area-VIII, Bajaur).

The party nominated about 88 candidates for 99 seats of the K-P Assembly.

The JI Peshawar district chief Bahrullah Khan will contest PK-1 (Peshawar-I).

Interestingly, Sirajul Haq, who has been nominated as the shadow chief minister, will contest the elections for only one seat of the provincial assembly – PK-95 (Upper Dir-II).

Published in The Express Tribune, March 28^th, 2013.