Aspirants in Chitral launch efforts to secure PPP tickets for election

CHITRAL: Hobnobbing at its peak, as candidates of various political parties have started efforts for getting tickets of their respective parties for the next general election.

The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) aspirants for the ticket for lone National Assembly seat included Fazl Rabbi Jan, Shahzada Taimor Khisro and Muhammad Hakim, the general secretary of the party.

Similarly, Muhammad Salim Khan, Haji Ghulam Muhammad and Dr Yousaf Haroon were trying to get the party ticket for the provincial assembly constituency.

However, Shahzada Taimor Khosrow is considered close to former President Asif Ali Zardari. Political pundits consider him the party’s potential candidate. Muhammad Hakim had contested election in 2013 and remained fourth. Fazl Rabbi Jan, a former JI leader, is also considered a strong candidate who can give a tough time to his opponents in the election.

The pundit believe that if Shahzada Taimor Khisro secured the party ticket it would deprive Salim Khan of getting ticket for the provincial assembly constituency as both the candidates belong to the same area.

If the party awarded ticket to both candidates then Upper Chitral would be deprived of the party ticket and the party’s votes in the area would be affected.

Ghulam Muhammad and Dr Yousaf Haroon belong to Upper Chitral and both have a strong vote bank in their area.

Dr Yousaf Haroon is nephew of former MNA Syed Abdul Ghafoor Shah. And Ghulam Muhammad being the former MPA is also a strong candidate.

Other political parties have also yet to finalise candidates for the lone NA and PA seats.

The district was deprived of one provincial assembly seat in the wake of recent census.