80 ‘turncoats’ in the run for Feb 8 polls in KP

PESHAWAR: About 80 candidates, who had contested the 2018 polls on the tickets of various political parties, have jumped ship in search of greener pastures and are contesting the upcoming general election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa from other platforms.

The Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUIF) has welcomed the majority of such politicians while many former lawmakers, who quit the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), have flocked to the Pervez Khattak-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTIP).

The Awami National Party (ANP) has awarded tickets to about six turncoats, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) to five while Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) has embraced at least five turncoats, who contested the last polls from other platforms.

The JUIF has roped in former MNA Noor Alam Khan and Nasir Khan Musazai and awarded them tickets for Peshawar’s NA-28 and NA-30 respectively. They were elected to the National Assembly on the PTI tickets in the 2018 general election. The two had contested the 2013 general election on the tickets of the PPP and PMLN respectively where the former had won while the latter lost to PTI’s Gulzar Khan.

For Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, the JUIF has awarded tickets to Mohammad Umar for PK-83 and Saddiq-ur-Rehman Paracha for PK-82 Peshawar, Barrister Arshad Abdullah for PK-64 in Charsadda, Pervez Ahmad for PK-86, Liaqat Khattak for PK-87 Nowshera, Ahad Khattak for PK-88, Mian Zulfiqar PK-89 in Nowshera, Wali Mohammad Khan in Battagram, Ibrar Hussain Tanoli in Mansehra, Ubaidullah Mayar and Iftikhar Mohmand in Mardan, Zafar Ali Khan for PK-66 Charsadda, Hamidullah Jan for National Assembly and provincial assembly in Khyber district, Iqbal Din Fana in Kohat, Sher Azam Khan, former provincial minister and PPP parliamentary party leader in last Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Malik Adnan in Bannu and Aghaz Gandapur in Dera Ismael Khan.

The ANP has awarded the ticket to Khan Pervez Khan for NA-33 in Nowshera who was the PPP candidate in the 2018 election in the same constituency and lost to PTI’s Pervez Khattak. The Pakhtun nationalist party has awarded ticket to former provincial minister Sultan Mohammad Khan for PK-64 Charsadda who had won from the same constituency in 2018 on the PTI ticket while in 2013 general election he was elected on the ticket of the Aftab Sherpao-led Qaumi Watan Party.

The party fielded Yasin Khalil in Peshawar for the provincial assembly constituency who was elected to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly on the PTI ticket in 2013. Arbab Usman, who contested the last general election as an independent candidate, will contest the upcoming election on the ANP ticket.

The ANP awarded tickets to former PTI MPA Gul Sahib Khan in Bannu and former JUIF MPA Zarin Gul Khan in Torghar for the upcoming general election.

The PPP put up former PTI MNA Usman Khan Tarakai in Swabi whose main opponent is his nephew and former provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai in February 8 polls. The PPP has fielded former PTI MNA Dr Haider Khan, who was affiliated with ANP in 2008 general election while he returned to KP Assembly in 2013 election on the PTI ticket. The party has awarded tickets to former provincial minister and ex-PTI MPA Ziaullah Afridi for provincial assembly and Abidullah Yousafzai for National Assembly seat in Peshawar. Zar Gul Khan, former PTI MPA, is now PPP candidate for NA-15 in Mansehra.

The PMLN has awarded ticket to former provincial minister Wajid Ali Khan for National Assembly constituency in Swat who had switched over from ANP to PMLN over non-allotment of ticket.

The PMLN has awarded tickets to Shah Jee Gul Afridi for National Assembly, his son Bilawal Afridi and nephew Shafiq Afridi for provincial assembly constituencies in Khyber district.

They had contested the last polls as independents and then formed their own party Tehreek-e-Islahat Pakistan. Former candidate of the ANP for Peshawar Mayor office in last local bodies elections Sher Rehman will contest the election on the PML-N ticket for NA-32 Peshawar.

Former governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, who also served as chief minister and remained provincial president of the PMLN, is contesting against the PMLN candidate for a National Assembly seat in Abbottabad.