No PPP ticket for candidates in Mansehra
The party’s district president and general secretary are contesting elections but as independents
PHOTO AFP
MANSEHRA:
Pakistan Peoples Party has not fielded a single candidate from the entire district of Mansehra.
The Express Tribune learnt the party’s district president and general secretary are contesting elections but as independents. PPP has not issued tickets to them, even though the party has a history of strong political support from the district.
From ZAB to AZ
During Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government in the 1970s, his minister for information was Syed Muzammal Shah from Kaghan Valley. During PPP’s last government (2008-13), Shah's younger son Syed Ahmed Hussain Shah was a provincial minister for industries. Shuja Salam “Shazi” Khan was food minister at the time. Shazi is also from Mansehra.
Even though the party has had a considerable vote bank in the district since the 70s, the leadership was unable to find a single candidate for 59 district council seats across three tehsils.
"It’s deplorable – the party that ruled the country four times and has Hazara University to its credit has failed to find a single candidate for local government elections," Naimat Khan, a PPP worker from the city told The Express Tribune. He pointed out that the party’s district president, Malik Farooq, was contesting as independent from Lassan Thakral union council for a district council seat with a bench as his election symbol. Likewise PPP's district general secretary Malik Sohrab is also contesting as an independent for a district council seat from Datta union council and his election symbol is a pedestal fan.
"This is the end of Bhutto's party and it is only because of wrong policies of the senior leadership in general,” said Naimat, “And the district and divisional leadership.” He accused PPP ministers and MPAs from Mansehra of enjoying perks and privileges during PPP's era and using its name for personal gains.
Running on independents?
Farooq blames the politics of clans and tribes at play in the LG elections. When asked if it was true PPP had not issued a single ticket to any of its members and that he and Malik Sohrab were contesting as independents, Farooq replied in the affirmative.
Farooq, who is a close aide of PPP divisional president Shuja Salam Khan, said the party was “supporting” 18 candidates all over Mansehra in the district elections and in Oghi and Balakot tehsils. He said his party had over 50,000 votes in the district and he was confident Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Awami National Party voters would also vote for PPP candidates under the tripartite arrangement. Farooq appeared confident about PPP forming the district and tehsil governments in Mansehra, even without fielding an official candidate.
Parties with candidates
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on the other hand, has issued 25 tickets to candidates contesting district council seats and 25 for the three tehsil councils. The party claims it will lend support to 34 independent candidates in the district. “Three of these independents also enjoy the support of PTI's coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami," said Shafaat Ali Khan, PTI’s district president. Shafaat endorsed the views of Farooq that tribal politics is pulling more influence in LG elections in Mansehra than ideology or parties.
And much like the PPP district president, Shafaat believed his party—PTI—will form a government in the district and at the tehsil level. “Our vote bank is on the rise.”
In a surprising move, PTI has not issued a ticket to any candidate from Oghi, the tehsil Azam Khan Swati belongs to or to any candidate from Baffa union council, the native village of Reham Khan.
Leading from the centre
The PML-N has issued 46 tickets for district council seats and is supporting 14 independent candidates. The party has also given tickets to 43 candidates for the three tehsil councils.
JUI-F is supporting 33 candidates in the district and 42 candidates at the tehsil level. JI issued 23 tickets for the district and 31 for the tehsils. Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan has fielded eight candidates for the district and 12 for the tehsils. ANP could only field a handful of candidates for all of Mansehra.
When approached for comments, JUI-F district ameer former Senator Syed Hidayatullah Shah and former MPA and general secretary Mufti Kifaytullah could not remember the exact number of tickets issued to aspirants in the district.
At least 276 candidates are in the running for 59 district council seats and 345 for three tehsil councils. There are 2,089 candidates running for general councillor seats for 163 village councils and neighbourhood councils; 842 for peasant/labour councillor; 807 for youth and 246 candidates for women’s seats.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2015.
Pakistan Peoples Party has not fielded a single candidate from the entire district of Mansehra.
The Express Tribune learnt the party’s district president and general secretary are contesting elections but as independents. PPP has not issued tickets to them, even though the party has a history of strong political support from the district.
From ZAB to AZ
During Zulfikar Ali Bhutto’s government in the 1970s, his minister for information was Syed Muzammal Shah from Kaghan Valley. During PPP’s last government (2008-13), Shah's younger son Syed Ahmed Hussain Shah was a provincial minister for industries. Shuja Salam “Shazi” Khan was food minister at the time. Shazi is also from Mansehra.
Even though the party has had a considerable vote bank in the district since the 70s, the leadership was unable to find a single candidate for 59 district council seats across three tehsils.
"It’s deplorable – the party that ruled the country four times and has Hazara University to its credit has failed to find a single candidate for local government elections," Naimat Khan, a PPP worker from the city told The Express Tribune. He pointed out that the party’s district president, Malik Farooq, was contesting as independent from Lassan Thakral union council for a district council seat with a bench as his election symbol. Likewise PPP's district general secretary Malik Sohrab is also contesting as an independent for a district council seat from Datta union council and his election symbol is a pedestal fan.
"This is the end of Bhutto's party and it is only because of wrong policies of the senior leadership in general,” said Naimat, “And the district and divisional leadership.” He accused PPP ministers and MPAs from Mansehra of enjoying perks and privileges during PPP's era and using its name for personal gains.
Running on independents?
Farooq blames the politics of clans and tribes at play in the LG elections. When asked if it was true PPP had not issued a single ticket to any of its members and that he and Malik Sohrab were contesting as independents, Farooq replied in the affirmative.
Farooq, who is a close aide of PPP divisional president Shuja Salam Khan, said the party was “supporting” 18 candidates all over Mansehra in the district elections and in Oghi and Balakot tehsils. He said his party had over 50,000 votes in the district and he was confident Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl and Awami National Party voters would also vote for PPP candidates under the tripartite arrangement. Farooq appeared confident about PPP forming the district and tehsil governments in Mansehra, even without fielding an official candidate.
Parties with candidates
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, on the other hand, has issued 25 tickets to candidates contesting district council seats and 25 for the three tehsil councils. The party claims it will lend support to 34 independent candidates in the district. “Three of these independents also enjoy the support of PTI's coalition partner Jamaat-e-Islami," said Shafaat Ali Khan, PTI’s district president. Shafaat endorsed the views of Farooq that tribal politics is pulling more influence in LG elections in Mansehra than ideology or parties.
And much like the PPP district president, Shafaat believed his party—PTI—will form a government in the district and at the tehsil level. “Our vote bank is on the rise.”
In a surprising move, PTI has not issued a ticket to any candidate from Oghi, the tehsil Azam Khan Swati belongs to or to any candidate from Baffa union council, the native village of Reham Khan.
Leading from the centre
The PML-N has issued 46 tickets for district council seats and is supporting 14 independent candidates. The party has also given tickets to 43 candidates for the three tehsil councils.
JUI-F is supporting 33 candidates in the district and 42 candidates at the tehsil level. JI issued 23 tickets for the district and 31 for the tehsils. Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan has fielded eight candidates for the district and 12 for the tehsils. ANP could only field a handful of candidates for all of Mansehra.
When approached for comments, JUI-F district ameer former Senator Syed Hidayatullah Shah and former MPA and general secretary Mufti Kifaytullah could not remember the exact number of tickets issued to aspirants in the district.
At least 276 candidates are in the running for 59 district council seats and 345 for three tehsil councils. There are 2,089 candidates running for general councillor seats for 163 village councils and neighbourhood councils; 842 for peasant/labour councillor; 807 for youth and 246 candidates for women’s seats.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 16th, 2015.