ANP, PTI resort to solo flights in Chitral

Former MMA allies JUI-F and JI combine forces once again.

CHITRAL: Unlike other areas of the province, politicking in Chitral is a whole different ball game and K-P’s frontline parties are cognizant of local dynamics at play.

Demographics

According to statistics provided by Chitral district election office, at least 286,645 people are registered to exercise their right to vote in the district’s 24 union councils on May 30. Around 110 and 118 aspirants are in the run for district and tehsil council seats respectively.

An election commission official told The Express Tribune around 836 candidates are vying for the general councillor seats, 385 for peasant, 318 for youth, 96 for minorities and 250 women are contesting on seats reserved for their gender. That is 250 women contesting for eight district seats and 200 village council seats.

King of the north

The tripartite alliance of Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl is nowhere to be seen in the district. K-P government’s brothers in arms Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and Jamaat-e-Islami have embarked in opposite directions in the run up to the polls. Both PTI and ANP have resigned themselves to solo flights in Chitral.

Former associates in the now-defunct legion of religious parties, Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal—JUI-F and JI­—have cut a deal and announced to back each other in 16 of the 24 UCs, contesting the remaining on their own.

Stepping in as underdogs, the PPP and All Pakistan Muslim League have also joined hands in Darosh-II area of Chitral. While PTI is being termed as the frontrunner, competition between three different fronts means a zero-sum outcome is highly likely.

Contests between APML candidate Shehzada Khalid Pervez and former nazim Abbas Haider, and JI’s Maghfirat Shah and PTI’s Abdul Wali Khan are being cited as the district’s game changers.

Campaigning has hit the peak as candidates can be found across Chitral’s cafes, shops, bazaars, and streets – convincing voters to invest their faith in them. Old enemies are being pushed to forgive and forget at jirgas. Relatives are being persuaded and promises are being made as most candidates are counting on personal relations and family ties for their victory.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 14^th, 2015.