JUI-F chief’s son readies to take up his father’s mantle.
Maulana Asad Mehmood could be the new face of ‘religious politics’ in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).
Son of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, Mehmood will be contesting for the NA-25 (DI Khan-cum-Tank) seat on the party’s ticket in the by-polls. The seat was vacated after Fazl decided to take oath from NA-24 (DI Khan), leaving Mehmood to fight it out with Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Engineer Dawar Khan Kundi on August 22.
Though the JUI-F has been winning the seat since the past three elections – 2001, 2008 and 2013 – Mehmood might be up against tough competition due to changing political dynamics.
Rumour has it influential political families are supporting PTI’s candidate for the by-polls. During a public meeting in Paharpur tehsil, former deputy speaker of the National Assembly and Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) leader Faisal Karim Kundi, Awami National Party (ANP) leader and former MPA Makhdoom Mureed Kazim Shah along with former JUI-F MPA Qadar Khan Bhittani announced their support for Engineer Dawar.
During previous elections of 2002 and 2008, a divide in the Kundi families broke the vote bank in favour of JUI-F candidates. This time, however, all the Kundis except Habibullah are supporting PTI in NA-25. Habibullah, a former colleague of Engineer Dawar, is supporting and campaigning for Mehmood.
“In the upcoming by-election, PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi’s support has strengthened Engineer Dawar’s position. Even Habibullah Kundi’s vote bank is likely to go in favor of Dawar,” claimed Sheikh Rehmat, a journalist. He added Faisal’s vote bank will help Dawar secure more votes than those cast in favour of Fazl in the May 11 general elections.
Though Faisal has put his weight behind Engineer Dawar, his criticism of the PTI leadership is often used as a tool by JUI-F leaders to point out the contradictions. Faisal had earlier accused K-P Chief Minister Pervez Khattak of vying for support of the JUI-F chief for his nephew and son-in-law Imran Khattak, who is contesting the by-polls for NA-5 (Nowshera). Faisal claimed the chief minister in return directed provincial minister Israrullah Gandapur to support Maulana Mehmood instead of his own party’s candidate.
Local leaders of the PTI also believe the allegations of Israrullah supporting JUI-F’s candidate are true. PTI’s Tank district leader Ayub Bhittani claimed Israrullah’s brother Akramullah Gandapur is publicly campaigning for Maulana Mehmood. On the other hand, Umer Farooq Mian Khel said during a public meeting that Gandapur’s support for JUI-F’s candidate had “brought shame upon the whole Gandapur tribe.”
But even amid the finger pointing and accusations, Maulana Mehmood continues to campaign with support from Habibullah, MPA Javed Akbar Khan from Paharpur, JUI-F MPA Mehmood Khan Bhittani, former MPA Nawabzada Banyameen Khan from Tank and the nawab of Gomal Shafiullah Khan.
The area of NA-25 constitutes 40% of DI Khan’s PK-63 and PK-67 constituencies and 66% of PK-68 and PK-69, Tank.
The main tribes inhabiting the area include Kundi, Baluch, Marwat, Main Khel, Gandapur, Bhaittani and Mehsud. Tribal politics involving influential families plays an important role in determining local leadership, but leaves little room for popular vote.
Security plan
The Pakistan Army will assist the civil administration during the by-polls, said DI Khan’s divisional commissioner Mushtaq Jadoon on Monday.
Jadoon told journalists the army and police will set up joint security check posts on all entry and exit points of DI Khan and Tank districts. Ballot papers and election material will also be transported to polling stations under their supervision, he added.
Dera Rang DIG Ejaz Ahmad Khan said separate security arrangements have been made for DI Khan and Tank, adding polling stations have been classified as normal, sensitive and very sensitive according to security risks. He said security forces will be patrolling the routes leading to polling stations in mobile teams and bomb disposal squads (BDS) will also be available throughout the day.
Moreover, a partial curfew will be imposed from 8am to 6pm across Tank on August 22. The district shares borders with militancy-ridden South Waziristan, thus tight and vigilant security provisions are needed to ensure a peaceful polling day. Training workshops have also been held for those assigned duties for the by-polls. All staffers have been instructed to show up at Police Lines Headquarters so that they can be taken to their relevant polling stations along with election material on time.
Published in The Express Tribune, August 20th, 2013.
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