Five parties join hands to fend off PTI in Malakand

Coalition partner JI also makes pact with ruling party’s opponents

BATKHELA: In a bid to the keep the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf at a safe distance from occupying positions in the district and town governments, stalwarts from five different political parties in Malakand on Friday announced an alliance.

The five parties included Jamaat-e-Islami, a major coalition partner of the PTI-led Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa government. The alliance was announced at a news conference at Batkhela Press club.

Beside others, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Humayun Khan and Syed Muhammad Ali Shah, JI’s Shah Raaz Khan and Bakhtyar Maani, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Essal Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s Mufti Kifayatullah and Maulana Javed as well as Awami National Party’s Ijaz Ali Khan were present on the occasion.



The decision to form an alliance against the PTI materialised after prolonged hobnobbing among leaders and representatives of different political parties.

Despite forming an alliance with each other, the five parties did not enjoy the support of the majority of the newly-elected 28 district councillors. Malakand comprises 28 union councils and it was PTI that emerged as the leading party after local government elections with nine district seats. PPP was second with eight seats.

Eight independent candidates were elected, while JI, ANP and JUI-F took a councillor seat each. The independents are now evaluating their position. At least two out of them have decided to join the opponents of the five-party alliance.

In the past, control over Malakand was shared between PPP and JI. However, the 2013 general elections and the recent local government polls showed that JI has lost its popularity in this part of the province. However, PPP’s position remains strong.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 6^th, 2015.