PESHAWAR, Jun 27 (APP): Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf (PTI) ruled the KP province for five years (2013-18) mostly fielded youngsters and debut makers against heavyweights associated with PPP, ANP and MMA from five National Assembly (NA) seats of Peshawar for the July 25 general election.
The PTI replaced all former MNAs on the national assembly constituencies, who won 2013 elections from Peshawar and awarded party tickets to mostly new comers and youngsters to challenge political bigwigs of other mainstream political parties during 2018 general elections.
PTI replaced winners of 2013 elections on NA seats from Peshawar including former MNAs Engr Hamidul Haq and Sajid Nawaz Khan and issued party ticket to former MNA Noor Alam Khan for NA-27 Peshawar, former MNA of 2017 by-election, Arbab Amir Ayub for NA-28 Peshawar-II, former KP Minister Shah Farman Khan for NA-29 Peshawar-III, Arbab Sher Muhammad for NA-30 Peshawar-IV and former Town Nazim Haji Shaukat Ali for NA-31 Peshawar V for 2018 General Election.
They will now contest 2018 election against other political parties bigwigs including former Senator Haji Ghulam Ali of MMA former MNA Asma Alamgir, son of KP Governor, Farhan Zafar Jhagra, former MNA and President of Jumaat e Islami Peshawar, Sabir Hussain Awan, PMLN KP President, Engir Amir Muqam, former Federal Minister for Communication Arbab Alamgir Khan and ex Federal Minister for Railways and veteran politician Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour.
Following completion of process of appeals against acceptance and rejection of nomination papers by the Election Tribunals on Wednesday, all political heavyweights blow up horn for five national assembly and 14 provincial assembly seats in Peshawar where tough electoral battle is expected among them on July 25 Elections.
Around 296 candidates are in the run five NA and 14 PK seats of Peshawar whose fate would be decided by 1,693,386 registered voters on July 25. Out of these candidates, as many as 57 will try their luck on 5 NA and 239 for 14 PK seats of the provincial assembly.
So far, 13 candidates are flexing muscles for NA-27 Peshawar-I where tough electoral battle is expected among formers MNA Noor Alam Khan (PTI), Arbab Asma Alamgir (PPP) and former Senator Ghulam Ali (MMA).
Sources in PTI said Noor Alam Khan, who recently joined PTI after resigning from PPP, was preferred over former PTI leader MNA, Sajid Nawaz Khan as workers were not happy with performance of the latter.
The PPP and MMA have sufficient vote bank in the constituency and have fielded strong candidates that may surprise political pundits.
On NA-28 Peshawar-II comprising rural and urban areas of Peshawar, a total of nine candidates including former MNA, Arbab Amir Ayub Khan, son of KP Governor, Farhan Zafar Jhagra and former MNA Sabir Hussain Awan of MMA are eying.
PTI has fielded a strong candidate, Arbab Amir Ayub who easily won this constituency in 2017 by- election after death of former MNA Gulzar Khan and bagged 45,734 votes while ANP’s Khushdil Khan secured 24,874 votes and former PMLN leader Nasir Khan Musazai 24,790 votes.
On NA-29 Peshawar-III, a total of 10 candidates are in the run, prominent among them is PMLN KP President, Engr Amir Muqam who will face former KP Information Minister Shah Farman of PTI and Arbab Kamal Khan of ANP. PMLN has sufficient vote bank in this constituency where Amir Muqam has made record development work and is posing tough challenge to PTI and ANP’s candidates.
Similarly on NA-30 Peshawar, a total of seven candidates are flexing muscles including former Federal Minister Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil (PPP), Arbab Sher Muhammad (PTI) and Alamgir Khan (ANP). Sources in PTI said Arbab Sher Muhammad has been preferred over former MNA Engr Hamidul Haq for NA 30 as workers were not happy over his past five years performance.
As many as 18 candidates are in the run for NA-31 constituency previously known as (NA-I) where one on one contest is expected between former Federal Minister Haji Ghulam Bilour of ANP will face former Town Nazim and billionaire Haji Shaukat from PTI.
Bilour has won this seat for record four times in the past, defeating former Prime Minister and PPP Chairperson Shaheed Benazir Bhutto and other political bigwigs. However, Bilour had faced crushing defeat at the hands of PTI Chief Imran Khan in 2013 general election by a huge margin of around 60,000 votes.
However, Bilour staged a comeback in the national assembly in 2013 by-election after Imran Khan quit the constituency, defeating PTI’s Gul Badshah by a big margin of 6000 plus votes.
As election day is come near, election campaign is picking up momentum in Peshawar where candidates have starting addressing public and corner meetings besides making tall pledges of bring positive changes in their lives after wining 2018 general elections.
The results of upcoming elections in Peshawar will determine popularity of a political party and future government in Khyber Pakthunkhwa and that is may reason that all mainstream political parties have fielded strong candidates to get maximum seats from here.