Senior leaders in KP may not contest election on PPP ticket

PESHAWAR: Former provincial presidents of Pakistan People's Party (PPP) Anwar Saifullah Khan and Khanzada Khan may not contest the upcoming general election on PPP ticket, a source confirmed to The News.

Anwar Saifullah, a former federal minister, neither applied for the ticket nor appeared before the PPP's parliamentary board. However, Zeeshan Khan, the son of Khanzada Khan, applied for provincial assembly seats from Mardan and has launched the election campaign.

Anwar Saifullah may contest the election from his native Lakki Marwat district as an independent candidate. He is expected to make the formal announcement after consulting his well-wishers and local elders.

The sources said Anwar Saifullah has not decided to join another party as he is expected to run as an independent candidate. His brother Salim Saifullah Khan has pledged support to the Marwat Movement in the southern districts. His nephews and supporters including elected nazims and councillors recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and made the announcement at the Chief Minister's House in Peshawar.

The sources said Khanzada Khan, a former senator from Mardan, was present at the meeting in Karachi that discussed distribution of party tickets among candidates in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

Though he didn't oppose allotting ticket to the widow of former speaker Abdul Akbar Khan, his supporters said he may not contest election on PPP ticket. The widow of Abdul Akbar Khan had applied for the women reserved seat but few individuals from KP at the meeting recommended her for a general seat. This annoyed Khanzada Khan and his supporters in the constituency.

The sources said that Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) leaders, including former provincial ministers Atif Khan and Shahram Khan Tarakai, were in contact with Khanzada Khan. The final decision about joining the PTI could be made at a meeting within few days.

"It is possible that he (Khanzada Khan) may not contest election and if he decided to contest, he would not contest it on PPP ticket," a source said adding; "He could opt for PTI ticket if he didn't run as an independent." "There are some conspirators in the party, who have been ignoring sincere workers since long and this policy would harm the PPP candidates in the coming election," he quipped.