Three Arbabs fight it out in NA-30 Peshawar

PESHAWAR: Though there are eight candidates contesting from the National Assembly constituency, NA-30 Peshawar-IV, observers and local residents say the real contest is among the three members of Arbab families.

As per the final list of the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), eight candidates are contesting on NA-30. However, the real contest is expected between former federal minister communication Dr Arbab Alamgir contesting on the ticket of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Arbab Najeebullah fielded by Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Sher Ali Arbab of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI). ANP’s Muhammad Alamgir Khalil is also an important candidate.

The five other candidates are Muhammad Junaid from PML-N, Malik Haider Khan from Pakistan Muslim League, Noor Wali Khan from Pakistan Justice and Democratic Party and independent candidate Muhammad Shaukat Khurshid.

In the 2013 election, PTI candidate Engineer Hamidul Haq had won from NA-30 by obtaining 26,910 votes, but this time the party has awarded ticket to a new candidate Sher Ali Arbab, who is close relative of former chief secretary Muhammad Shehzad Arbab.

Arbab Alamgir had won the seat in the 2008 election by securing 34,443 votes. He lost badly in the 2013 polls while contesting for both the National Assembly and provincial assembly seats.

Interestingly, Arbab Najeebullah had contested the 2008 elections on the ticket of ANP and remained runner-up with 23,992 votes.

This time, Arbab Najeebullah is contesting on the ticket of MMA as he had recently joined JUI-F after PTI did not award him ticket. In a short span, he changed three parties as first he left ANP for PTI and recently joined JUI-F.

Back in 2002, the MMA’s Maulana Rahmatullah Khan had won election on NA-30, previously called NA-2. The MMA wave at the time had helped this almost unknown cleric to win the seat.

Late chief minister Arbab Jehangir Khan, father of Arbab Alamgir Khan, had won election from the constituency four times. He was first elected on this seat in March 1977. Interestingly, Arbab Jehangir was also known for changing parties as he had won the seat twice on the ticket of ANP, one time as a PPP candidate and once as an independent.

As per the electoral roll for NA-30, there are 308,891 registered voters, including 173,754 men and 135,137 women.

The total number of polling stations is 217 including 116 for male voters and 99 for female voters while four stations are combined.

There are 786 polling booths in NA-30, of which 443 are for male and 343 for female voters. The Election Commission of Pakistan has deployed 217 presiding officers, 1,572 assistant presiding officers and 786 polling officers for election in NA-30.