Political exclusion: Charsadda’s NA-7 seems ready to let go of ANP

ANP chief Asfandyar Wali will be contesting from this constituency but has been largely removed from his supporters.

SHABQADAR:

Election festivities in NA-7 Charsadda are in full swing. While traditionally, NA-7 has always favoured the Awami National Party (ANP) and the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), this time, it seems, the constituency is ready for change.

There are 11 candidates in the race for NA-7, but the main competition is expected to take place between the popular few. The ANP and the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), both face a serious threat to political ascendancy in the face of a QWP and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) alliance. This new alliance will also limit the chances of success for smaller parties.

ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan will be contesting from NA-7 and will face rival candidates, including JUI-F district head and former MNA Gohar Shah and former QWP MPA from PK-17 contesting on a Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ticket, Arshad Khan. JUI-F and QWP leaders have been holding joint public gatherings to campaign against the ANP chief.

In the 2008 elections, Wali swept the polls for NA-7 by bagging 57,234 votes.

This time, the PTI has awarded the ticket to Fazal Muhammad Khan, son of veteran politician and former federal minister Lala Nisar. The former minister’s family has always put up a tough competition against Wali.

There are 376,415 registered voters in NA-7, including 212,832 male and 163,583 female voters with about 256 polling stations set up. Among these, 22 stations are for both men and women.

ANP has hardly conducted any campaign in the constituency. While other parties, including the JUI-F, PTI, QWP and JI have conducted rallies, the ANP chief has remained disconnected from voters and has only been able to address supporters via telephone or over Skype.

The party had formed committees for campaigning, but was restricted amid threats from militants, especially after ANP leader and candidate for PK-17, Ahmad Khan, was attacked. ANP has been forced to conduct secret corner meetings with minimal or no election campaigns at all. The ECP has also declared the constituency as ‘sensitive.’

Arshad Abdullah, ANP candidate for PK-18, said law enforcement agencies have banned them due to the frequency of attacks against the party. “We cannot even go to condole the death of our workers,” he added.

Voters are being mobilised through local radio channels, through telephonic address and over the internet as alternatives to holding large public gatherings, Abdullah said, adding he is optimistic about the party’s performance on Election Day.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.