Political heavyweights contesting in PK-11 Upper Dir

DIR: An interesting contest is expected on the PK-11 Upper Dir district as all the candidates are considered to be popular with the masses.

Malik Azam Khan of the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA), Sahibzada Sanaullah of the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Fakhar Hayat of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Malik Hayat Khan of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Ameer Zaman of the Awami National Party (ANP) and Badshah Rawan of the All Pakistan Muslim League (APML) are trying their luck for PK-11 Upper Dir.

A total of 148,913 voters have been registered in the constituency, including 87,361 men and 61,552 women. There are 125 polling stations in the area.

Observers say a tough contest is expected particularly among Sahibzada Sanaullah of the PPP, Malik Azam of MMA, Fakhar Hayat of PTI, and Malik Hayat Khan of the PML-N. The constituency has always been considered a stronghold of the JI, which has won most of the elections on it in the past.

Though Malik Azam was considered as favourite, his vote bank seems to have suffered a setback after exclusion of Khal, Tormang and Shalpalam areas from the constituency as a result of delimitation.

PPP’s Sahibzada Sanaullah can challenge Malik Azam Khan. Also, locals say that Sahibzada Sanaullah had completed a number of development projects in his short tenure as MPA in the constituency.

PTI’s Fakhar Hayat is also considered a strong candidate as the PTI now has a vote bank in PK-11. Fakhar Hayat remained the tehsil nazim of Wari in the past.

He has quit the PML-N and joined the PTI where his father Malik Jehanzeb Khan is still in PML-N. It is being said that he might get a number of PML-N votes as well.