Ex-speaker striving to retain PK-45 seat in Abbottabad

ABBOTTABAD: Former speaker of the Provincial Assembly, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani, is striving to retain his seat in the provincial assembly constituency PK-45, Abbottabad, where a tough contest is expected among as many as five candidates from the Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz (PMLN), Jamaat-e-Islami, Hazara Qaumi Mahaz (HQM), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), and an independent candidate backed by Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

A total of 18 candidates are contesting from PK-45, including Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani as an independent candidate backed by PTI, Arshid Awan from PMLN, Syed Saleem Shah of PPP, Amjad Khan Jadoon of Jamat-e-Islami, and Asad Javed Khan contesting on the HQM ticket. Others in the race include Zahid Khan contesting from the Pakistan Markazi Muslim League, Shamarez Khan of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians, Faisal Khan of MQM, Muhammad Aslam Qureshi of the TLP), Muhammad Khalid of JUI, and Sijjad Akber, Umbreen Younic Turk, Gul Khan Changezi, Muhammad Asif, Naheema Shaheen, Naqeebulah Khan, and Waseem Khan as independent candidates. Waseem Khan, affiliated with PPP, is contesting as an independent and appears to be one of the strong candidates.

According to the Election Commission, there are a total of 229,812 registered voters, including 119,370 males and 110,442 females in the constituency. Mushtaq Ghani is facing a tough time from his own group backed by the Awan tribe, as his close relative Arshid Awan is pitched against him on a PMLN ticket, thereby dividing his own tribe’s votes.

Some well-informed sources claim that Arshid Awan decided to contest the election on PK-45 with the consultation of Mushtaq Ghani, as Mushtaq Ghani was reluctant to contest the 2024 elections for reasons best known to him. On the other hand, Mushtaq Ghani has been mustering the support of the Jadoon tribe due to Ali Khan Jadoon, who is contesting from NA-17 as an independent candidate. Although Mushtaq Ghani is apparently affiliated with PTI, his old loyalties and association with Pervez Khattak raise questions about his future career.

Apart from Arshid Awan of PMLN, Amjad Khan Jadoon of Jamaat-e-Islami is another aspirant who can give a tough time to all others contesting from PK-45.

A total of 181 polling stations have been established, including 52 for males, 52 for females, and 79 combined stations, while 558 polling booths, including 306 for males and 252 for females, have also been set up. The PK-45 constituency mainly comprises the urban city, including Awan and Jadoon tribes, who play a pivotal role in the election. Apparently, both tribes seem to be divided, and no single candidate has gained their full support so far.

In 2008, Mushtaq Ghani won the seat as an independent candidate, but in the 2013 elections, he again won the seat on a PTI ticket. Earlier, Inayatullah Khan Jadoon had won the seat on a PMLN ticket.