Fresh races, old faces: Largest parties in K-P retain previously-elected lawmakers

The new provincial assembly will likely host many former seat holders.

PESHAWAR:

The four political parties that had the most significant presence in the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly have retained a sizeable number of their candidates on the same seats from which they contested the 2008 polls.

The Pakistan Peoples Party, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, Awami National Party and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz have enjoyed the largest number of members in the provincial assembly since 2002. A closer look into candidate lists this time around reveals that each party has nominated around 30 candidates for the same seats.

Therefore, it seems like many old faces from the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal and the ANP-PPP coalition will, once more, weave their way into the assembly.

ANP

Out of the 77 nominations announced on Tuesday, ANP has awarded tickets to 37 of its lawmakers from the previous assembly.

However, the party has made some changes.  From the candidates who contested from Peshawar, only five of 2008 winners have been awarded tickets.

Former agriculture minister Arbab Ayub Khan, who won from PK 9 (Peshawar 9), has been given a national assembly ticket.

Additionally, Bashir Ahmed Bilour’s son, Haroon Bilour, who contested from PK 1 back in 2008, will contest from PK 3, which was occupied by his father for more than a decade.



Meanwhile, Ghazanfar Bilour will contest from PK 1.

The ANP also dropped Ateefur Rehman from the PK 5 constituency, giving his seat to the party’s provincial general secretary Arbab Tahir. The same ANP team that swept Malakand in 2008 is in the race once again.

However, in southern K-P, candidates are thinly dispersed. Except for Karak and Lakki Marwat, ANP has yet to decide who will run. In Dera Ismail Khan, it only has one candidate, Syed Murid Kazim Shah.

PPP

Similar to the ANP, the PPP has retained at least 30 candidates who contested on its ticket in 2008, out of a total of 76 nominations announced for the provincial assembly on Monday.

Nominations for the remaining seats are yet to be made.

Eight previous candidates were retained for Peshawar’s 11 constituencies, while only three new people were awarded tickets.



Three candidates were awarded tickets in Nowshera, while one in Charsadda, three in Mardan, and one each in Swabi and Kalat have retained their party tickets.

It is worth noting that the party has suffered a loss among its senior leadership. Former K-P chief and senior minister in the last assembly, Rahim Dad Khan, is not contesting polls this time around. Instead, his son, Asad Khan, is taking his place.

JUI-F

In the same vein, the JUI-F nominated at least 32 of its old candidates, out of 96 nominations it made for 99 seats in the provincial assembly.

However, at least eight of its candidates from Peshawar have been changed, while only three have retained their nominations.



Similarly, one candidate in Nowshera, three in Charsadda, five in Mardan, two in Hangu, and one in Karak have maintained seats.

PML-N

For its part, the PML-N has retained about 29 lawmakers, out of a total 94 tickets issued.

In the provincial capital, it has retained three of its candidates out of 11 seats. Rashid Mehmood Khan, who was the PK 8 candidate in 2008, has been given a PK 9 ticket. Meanwhile, PK 8 has been awarded to Arbab Akbar Hayat.



Impressively, the PML-N has retained most of its winning horses in the Hazara division, where known names like Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan and Pir Sabir Shah will be contesting elections. Furthermore, around nine candidates who contested 2008 elections on PML-Q tickets have been issued PML-N tickets.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 2^nd, 2013.