Former PML-N candidate contesting against Amir Muqam

PESHAWAR: The award of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) ticket to Nasir Khan Musazai for contesting the election for the National Assembly constituency, NA-29 Peshawar-III, is laughable as just eight months ago he had contested the by-election for the same seat against the PTI as a candidate of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The anti-PTI speeches that Nasir Khan Musazai made during the by-election campaign in the rural Peshawar constituency in October 2017 are a matter of record and are readily available in both the print and electronic media as well as social media.

He and his benefactor, PML-N provincial President Amir Muqam, were profusely praising their party at the time and criticizing the PTI to no end. Amir Muqam had specifically sanctioned schemes of gas supply and electrification for the constituency and made his brother Dr Ibadullah the election campaign incharge for Nasir Musazai in a bid to win the bye-election.

The by-election in the constituency, known as NA-4 Peshawar at the time and named NA-29 after delimitation, was won by PTI's Arbab Amir Ayub, brother of late ANP MNA Arbab Zahir, with 45,774 votes. ANP's Khushdil Khan was the runner-up with 24,874 votes while Nasir Musazai as the PML-N candidate polled 24,790.

The delimitation has brought changes in the constituency and Arbab Amir Ayub is now contesting as the PTI candidate from NA-28 Peshawar, which includes most of his old constituency and also villages from the adjacent constituencies.

The by-election was necessitated by the death of PTI's estranged MNA, Gulzar Khan. His son Asad Gulzar contested the by-election on the PPP ticket and got about 13,000 votes. Ironically, he too like Nasir Musazai has now joined the PTI. Both realized that PTI had better chances of winning election and that is why they curbed their ego and joined the PTI. The PTI leadership too had no qualms allowing them to join the party and even awarding tickets to them for contesting the polls even though they had been bitterly critical of Imran Khan not long ago.

Nasir Musazai joined the PTI some months ago in the hope of getting its ticket for the coming election. His plan worked and he got the ticket of a party which he abhorred until late last year. Nasir Musazai as the PTI candidate is now pitted against his former leader Amir Muqam in NA-29. The ANP has fielded Arbab Kamal Khan in the constituency while the MMA nominee is Sabir Hussain Awan.