PTI-backed candidates sweep Upper Dir

DIR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)-backed candidates scored a clean sweep in Upper Dir by winning one national and three provincial seats.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI)’s former MPA, who twice served as provincial minister Inayatullah Khan lost the election by a huge margin.

The PTI-backed independent candidates defeated their opponents in the general elections of February 8. The newly elected member of the National Assembly, Sahibzada Sibghatullah has won the NA-5 Upper Dir seat by getting 90,865 votes.

Sahibzada Tariqullah of Jamaat-e-Islami secured 48,246 votes and Najamuddin Khan of Pakistan People’s Party trailed behind with 37,635 votes.

On PK-11 Dir-I, Gul Ibrahim, an independent candidate supported by PTI, won by getting 20,103 votes, while Muhammad Ali of Jamaat-e-Islami received 14,533 votes. On PK-12 Dir-II, independent candidate supported by PTI Yamin Khan polled 23,915 votes while Azam Khan of Jamaat-e-Islami secured 12,531 votes.

On PK-13 Dir-III consisting of district headquarters Dir, Brawal and Larjum Mohammad Anwar Khan Advocate polled 32,043 votes and former MPA of JI Inayatullah got 25,457 votes. In the general election of 2018, the PTI had won one National Assembly seat from Upper Dir. The defeat of Inayatullah was seen as a setback for the JI. He had won from this constituency three times.