Surprises for old guard in KP as PTI releases list of candidates for general elections

PESHAWAR: Amid reports of serious differences over tickets for certain constituencies, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Friday released a list of its candidates for the forthcoming 2018 general elections.

As expected, PTI’s old and senior leaders and close aide to Imran Khan were denied the party tickets for the election.

Besides either, former health and information minister, Shaukat Yousafzai and MNA Ali Mohammad Khan were refused the party tickets due to reasons best known to the party leadership.

On the other hand, some influential people of the party, including ex-chief minister Pervez Khattak, ex-speaker provincial assembly, Assad Qaisar, former education minister Muhammad Atif Khan, former health minister Shahram Khan Tarakai, former housing minister Dr Amjad Ali and former public health minister Shah Farman were given two tickets each to contest the election.

Senior PTI leaders told The News that some of the tickets were delayed due to differences among the party workers.

In rural Mardan, the PTI leadership delayed issuing party ticket for NA-22, where Ali Mohammad Khan had won previously and was considered a strong contender for the party ticket.

However, according to sources, recently some people joined the party and they had strong voices in the PTI provincial and central leadership and wanted them to get the party ticket.

“The party has divided into many groups there. Some of the old party people wanted Ali Mohammad Khan to get the PTI ticket, while others wanted to give to former education minister Iftikhar Mohmand who recently joined the party. And then there is another powerful faction which wanted the PTI ticket should go to the son of an elderly politician, Sarfaraz Khan who came to PTI from Pakistan People’s Party a few weeks ago,” explained a senior PTI leader on condition of anonymity.

Similarly, PTI provincial spokesman Shaukat Yousafzai was denied PTI ticket for PK-77 in Peshawar.

According to party sources, Shaukat had heavily invested in PK-77 Peshawar and wanted to contest from the same constituency.

However, the sources said some people in the party convinced Imran Khan to allot Shaukat Yousafzai the party ticket for his native Shangla district and hoped that he would be the best person to defeat Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president, Amir Muqam. Amir Muqam also belongs to Shangla district.

When reached, Shaukat Yousafzai told The News that he had refused to contest election from Shangla and had informed the party leadership about his decision.

Interestingly, some senior PTI leaders told The News that the party leadership to facilitate a PPP candidate and an old friend of Pervez Khattak, Zahir Ali Shah on PK-77 and PK-78, had fielded weak candidates on these two constituencies.

“Zahir Ali Shah is an old friend of Pervez Khattak and it is generally believed that PTI brought comparatively weak candidates on the two constituencies where Zahir Shah was supposed to contest. Now when Shaukat Yousafzai is out of the race, Zahir Shah is planning to contest from PK-77,” a PTI source said.

He said both the candidates were members of the town council in Peshawar. “It’s a kind of favour from PTI to the PPP candidates,” he said.

Similarly, the party didn’t issue party ticket NA-23 in Charsadda, whereas per PTI sources, Pervez Khattak wanted to issue the party ticket to his son in law while other people were in favour of Jihanzaib Dhaki to contest against Aftab Sherpao.

Similar was the situation on NA-32 in Kohat where some people were in favour of former MNA Sheharyar Afridi while others wanted to issue the ticket to former governor Lt-Gen (retired) Iftikhar Hussain Shah.

Sheharyar is strong and it is believed he may get the party ticket.

On NA-44 Bara in Khyber Agency, the party could not decide party ticket.

Former MNA Nasir Khan Afridi had applied but another known business family of Haji Mohammad Shah may get the party ticket.

The PTI leadership was also uncertain about party ticket for NA-2 Swat where a candidate Mohammad Khan is stated to have issued the ticket but since local party leadership including former MPA Dr Haider Ali raised concern as Mohammad Khan doesn’t belong to the same constituency.

PTI leadership wanted the party to bring a strong candidate as PML-N provincial leader Amir Muqam is also contesting from the same constituency.

Following is the list of PTI candidates for provincial assembly, Israruddin PK-1 Chitral, Mian Sharafat Ali PK-2 Swat-I, Dr. Haider Ali Khan PK-3 Swat-II, Aziz Ullah Khan PK-4 Swat-III, Fazal Hakim Khan Yousafzai PK-5 Swat-IV, Amjad Ali PK-6 Swat-V, Amjad Ali PK-7 Swat-VI, Mohibullah Khan PK-8 Swat-VII, Mehmood Khan PK-9 Swat-VIII, Nawab Ali PK-10 Upper Dir-I, Muhammad Azam Khan PK-13 Lower Dir-I, Farooqur Rehman PK-14 Lower Dir-II, Sirbiland Khan PK-16 Lower Dir-IV, Liaqat Ali Khan PK-17 Lower Dir-V, Shakeel Ahmad PK-18 Malakand Protected Area-I, Pir Musavir Khan PK-19 Malakand Protected Area-II, Riaz Khan PK-20 Buner-I, Syed Fakhar Jehan PK-21 Buner-II, Abdul Kabir Khan PK-22 Buner-III, Abdul Maula PK-24 Shangla-II, Zubair Khan PK-28 Battagram-I, Taj Muhammad Khan Trand PK-29 Battagram-II, Babar Saleem Swati PK-31 Mansehra-II, Zahid Chanzeb PK-32 Mansehra-III, Nawabzada Farid Salahuddin PK-33 Mansehra-IV and a women candidate Zahida Sabeel PK-34 Mansehra-V.

Likewise, Zareen Gul was issued party ticket for contesting election from PK-35 Tor Ghar, Waqar Nabi PK-37 Abbottabad-II, Haji Qalandar Khan Lodhi PK-38 Abbottabad-III, Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani PK-39 Abbottabad-VI, Akbar Ayub Khan PK-40 Haripur-I, Malik Tahir Iqbal PK-42 Haripur-III. Speaker Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly Asad Qaiser is issued ticket to contest election on PK-44 Swabi-II, Abdul Karim PK-45 Swabi-III, Muhammad Ali PK-46 Swabi-IV, former Senior Health Minister Shahram Tarakai PK-47 Swabi-V.

Malik Shaukat Ali would be the party candidate from PK-48 Mardan-I, Tufail Anjum PK-49 Mardan-II, Muhammad Atif PK-50 Mardan-III, Amir Farzand Khan PK-51 Mardan-IV, Muhammad Zahir Shah PK-52 Mardan-V and Sayyed Umar Farooq PK-53 Mardan-VI.

Azizullah would contest election from PK-57 Charsadda-II, Sultan Muhammad Khan PK-58 Charsadda-III and Fazal Shakoor Khan PK-59 Charsadda-IV.

In Nowshera former chief minister Pervez Khattak would contest on PK-64 Nowshera-IV, Muhammad Idrees would contest election on PK-62 Nowshera-II, Mian Jamshiduddin Kakakhel PK-63 Nowshera-III and Khaliq-ur –Rehman from PK-65 Nowshera-V.

In Peshawar Mehmood Jan would vying for PK-66 Peshawar-I, Arbab Muhammad Waseem Khan PK-67 Peshawar-II, Arbab Jehandad Khan PK-68 Peshawar-III, Syed Muhammad Ishtiaq PK-69 Peshawar-IV, former provincial minister Shah Farman PK-71 Peshawar-VI, Fazal Elahi PK-72 Peshawar-VII, Taimur Saleem Khan Jhagra PK-73 Peshawar-VIII, Pir Fida Muhammad PK-74 Peshawar-IX, Malik Wajidullah Khan PK-75 Peshawar-X, Asif Khan PK-76 Peshawar-XI, Kamran Khan Bangash PK-77 Peshawar-XII, Muhammad Irfan PK-78 Peshawar-XIII and Nasir Khan Musazai PK-79 Peshawar-XIV Selected

Azmat Ali Khan will be PTI candidate on PK-80 Kohat-I, Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi PK-81 Kohat-II, Ziaullah Khan PK-82 Kohat-III, Shah Faisal Khan PK-83 Hangu-I and Muhammad Zahoor PK-84 Hangu-II. Former ANP and ANP-Wali leader Farid Khan Toofan who has recently joined the PTI will be its candidate from, PK-85 Karak-I, Malik Qasim Khan Khattak PK-86 Karak-II, Zahid Ullah Khan PK-87 Bannu-I, PakhtoonYar Khan PK-88 Bannu-II, Shah Muhammad Khan PK-89 Bannu-III, Malik Adnan Khan PK-90 Bannu-IV.

Johar Muhammad will contest election on PK-91 Lakki Marwat-I, Hisham Inamullah Khan PK-92 Lakki Marwat-II, Tariq Saeed PK-93 Lakki Marwat-III, IrfanUllah Khan Kundi PK-94 Tank, Tariq Rahim Kundi PK-96 Dera Ismail (DI) Khan-II, Ali Amin Gandapur PK-97 DI Khan-III, Khalid Salim PK-98 DI Kahan-IV and Ikramullah Khan PK-99 DI Khan-V.

NA SEATS

 The tickets issued for National Assembly seat including Abdul Latif NA-1 Chitral, Saleem Rehman NA-3 Swat-II, Murad Saeed NA-4 Swat-III, Sahibzada Sibghat Ullah NA-5 Upper Dir, Mehboob Shah NA-6 Lower Dir-I, Muhammad Bashir Khan NA-7 Lower Dir-II, Junaid Akbar NA-8 Malakand Protected Area, Sher Akbar Khan NA-9 Buner, Muhammad Nawaz Khan NA-12 Battagram, Zar Gul Khan NA-14 Mansehra-cum-Torghar, Ali Asghar Khan NA-15 Abbottabad-I, Ali

Khan Jadoon NA-16 Abbottabad-II, Omar Ayub Khan NA-17 Haripur, Asad Qaiser NA-18 Swabi-I, Usman Khan Tarakai NA-19 Swabi-II, Mujahid Ali NA-20 Mardan-I, Muhammad Atif NA-21 Mardan- II, Fazal Muhammad Khan NA-24 Charsadda-II.

Former chief minister Pervez Khattak is issued ticket to contest election from NA-25 Nowshera-I, Imran Khattak NA-26 Nowshera-II, Noor Alam Khan NA-27 Peshawar-I, Arbab Amir Ayub NA-28 Peshawar-II, Shah Farman NA-29 Peshawar-III, Sher Ali Arbab NA-30 Peshawar-IV, Shaukat Ali NA-31 Peshawar-V, Khayal Zaman NA-33 Hangu, Shahid Ahmad NA-34 Karak, Imran Ahmad Khan Niazi NA-35 Bannu, Habibullah Khan NA-37 Tank, Ali Amin Khan Gandapur NA-38 Dera Ismail Khan-I, Muhammad Yaqoob ShaikhNA-39 Dera Ismail Khan-II, Gul Dad Khan NA-40 Tribal Area-I, Gul Zafar Khan NA-41 Tribal Area-II, Sajid Khan NA-42 Tribal Area-III, Noor Ul Haq Alqadri Tribal Area-IV, Syed Iqbal Mian NA-46 Tribal Area-VII and Jawad Hussain NA-47 Tribal Area-VIII.