PTI main contender in five NA constituencies in Peshawar

PESHAWAR: The Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) are the main contenders in the three out of the five National Assembly constituencies in the Peshawar district.

The position of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) is considered stronger than the MMA in the remaining two constituencies out of the National Assembly seats in Peshawar.

Political observers in their separate chats with The News opined that neck and neck competition was expected among the candidates of major political parties, but the PTI would be the main rival against MMA, ANP and PML-N in all the five constituencies.

Among the 10 candidates running for NA-27, PTI’s Noor Alam Khan and MMA’s Ghulam Ali are the main contestants. Asma Alamgir of Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Arbab Tahir Nadim of ANP are also contesting from this rural constituency.

Six candidates running for NA-28, including PTI’s Arbab Aamir Ayub and MMA’s Sabir Hussain Awan are stated to be ahead of other contestants, including Mohammad Intikhab Chamkani of PML-N who recently joined the party.

Earlier, he quit Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) and joined Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). Shafi Akbar of the ANP and Ikramullah of Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan and an independent candidate, Mohammad Daud Burki are also in the run from NA-28.

Among the five candidates for NA-29, the main contestants are expected to be the PTI’s Nasir Khan Musazai and PML-N’s Amir Muqam. Their position is considered stronger than Naeem Jan of MMA, Arbab Kamal Ahmad of ANP and Mohammad Shafiq of Tehreek-e-Labbaik. PTI’s Arbab Sher Ali and MMA’s Arbab Najeebullah and PPP’s former federal minister Arbab Alamgir are strong candidates in NA-30.

The other candidates are Mohammad Alamgir Khalil of ANP, Mohammad Junaid of PML-N, Noor Wali Khan of Justice and Democratic Party and independent candidate Mohammad Khurshid.

Out of 13 candidates in NA-31 comprising Peshawar city, tough competition is expected between PTI’s Shaukat Ali and ANP’s Ghulam Ahmad Bilour. The latter’s nephew Haroon Bilour, who was running for PK-78, was martyred along with 20 people in a suicide attack during a corner meeting at Yakatoot locality on July 10.

Ghulam Bilour is expected to get the sympathy vote. Though political parties have restricted their election activities, the candidates are now holding corner meetings in the face of looming threats.

Gulab Khan, who is a daily wager, said this wasn’t the usual election as the candidates could not hold large public gatherings to woo the voters. He said the candidates made promises to seek votes from the electorate, but they were nowhere to be seen after winning the polls.

He said the candidates made pledges that ranged from curbing corruption to serving the poor, but they seldom honoured their commitment. “We meet all the candidates, but I have told my family that we will vote for those who can deliver,” he maintained.