Political activities pick up steam in Chitral

2018 polls

CHITRAL: The political activities are in full swing in the district as almost all the mainstream parties have started finalising the names of candidates for the 2018 general election.

Annoyed over the decision of party leadership, many leaders and activists have switched loyalties and joined other parties. Two leaders from Chitral joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) in the presence of the party president Asif Ali Zardari recently.

Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) leader Fazl Rabbi and Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) leader and former Member Provincial Assembly Ghulam Muhammad held meeting with Asif Ali Zardari during his visit to Peshawar and announced joining the PPP.

Ghulam Muhammad had been elected to the provincial assembly on the ticket of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid in 2008. He again ran for the provincial legislature in 2013 and defeated the PPP candidate by 13 votes. However, the runner-up Sardar Hussain contested the decision and re-polling was held on seven polling stations and he won the election. After losing the election, Ghulam Muhammad joined the JUI-F.

Though not active, Fazl Rabbi was an old worker of JI. He was one of the aspirants for the provincial assembly election ticket. However, the ticket was given to District Nazim Maghfirat Shah and Fazl Rabbi decided to quit the party. The leaders belonging to other political parties have also started mass contact.

Political pundits believed that the 2018 general election would be very interesting in the history of the district. They also expect that PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto Zardari would also contest election from the constituency NA-32, Chitral keeping in view the tumultuous response he had received during his visit to the district.