The JI rewarded party ticket to Haji Jamshed Khan for PK-77. PHOTO: FILE
Members of three major political parties have decided to back the Jamaat-e-Islami candidates in Buner.
At a press conference at the JI headquarters on Tuesday, disgruntled leaders from the Awami National Party (ANP), Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) assured JI of their support.
Former ANP president in Buner Abdur Rashid Khan, PML-N senior vice president Zareen Khan and PPP leader Aurangzeb Khan vowed to support the JI candidate. Buner has three provincial assembly seats, including PK-77, PK-78 and PK-79 and one national assembly seat.
JI’s provincial General Secretary Shabbir Ahmed Khan welcomed the support from the three disgruntled political leaders, who have turned their backs on their party for pursuing ‘wrong policies and decisions.’
Independent candidate Alamgir Khan, who was contesting PK-77, also announced at the press conference to withdraw his candidacy in favour of JI’s candidate Haji Jamshed Khan. All leaders present said they will ensure that Jamshed wins against all other candidates.
Politics in Buner has undergone major changes over the past few weeks as many influential politicians and leaders have switched parties.
Abdur Rashid Khan, who headed the ANP in Buner, developed differences with the party after a ticket was given to former provincial minister for primary and secondary education, Sadar Hussain Babak in the 2008 elections.
Rashid is said to be influential in the constituency with a vote bank of more than 2,500 in PK-77. Babak will be contesting the elections from here as well.
PML-N leader Zareen Khan has been disgruntled after tickets were issued to the Amir Muqam faction. Muqam joined the PML-N after calling it quits with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) last year. He brought a large number of followers with him and has emerged as a major power broker in PML-N ranks.
Other prominent names that changed parties include former ANP parliamentarian Isteqbal Khan, who joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) a few weeks ago. Another addition to JUI-F ranks is Advocate Shad, who is a senior JI leader.
JI has awarded the NA-28 ticket to Sher Akbar Khan, while provincial assembly tickets have been awarded to Haji Jamshed Khan, Haji Habibur Rehman and former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) speaker under the Muttahida Majlis-e- Amal (MMA) government, Bakht Jehan Khan.
An influential landlord from Buner, Sher Akbar won NA-28 in 2002 on a Pakistan Peoples Party-Sherpao (PPP-S) ticket. However, later he joined the JI and was awarded a ticket for the same constituency.
Published in The Express Tribune, April 17th, 2013.
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