PTI, PPP candidates face-to-face in PK-66, 68

PESHAWAR: The Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provincial assembly constituencies PK-66 Peshawar-I and PK-68 Peshawar-III are the two important constituencies where Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidates, who had won last general elections, are face-to-face with the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) aspirants who had returned to the provincial assembly in the 2008 polls.

Both the constituencies have undergone drastic territorial changes in the last delimitation carried out for the July 25 general elections. The development, like many other constituencies, has changed prospects for the potential candidates as well.

In PK-66, Peshawar-I, total 10 candidates are in the run who also include former speaker of the provincial assembly, Kiramatullah Khan. He is contesting on the PPP ticket.

Similarly, a former provincial minister, Hashmat Khan, who had won from the constituency on the Muttahida Majlis Amal (MMA) ticket in 2002 general elections, is taking part in polls this time on the same religious party alliance ticket.

In past, the constituency remained a stronghold of the Awami National Party (ANP) and its leader Abdur Rehman Khan used to win from it.

For the tomorrow’s polls, the ANP has awarded ticket to Liaquat Ali Khan, who along with nine others is contesting in the constituency.

Other candidates also include well-known politician Hashim Babar of the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), Saifullah of JUI-S, Syed Liaquat Hussain Shah of the PML-N, Syed Abbas Shah of Tehrik-e-Jawanan Pakistan (TJP) and independents Arbab Shehryar Khan, and Wisal Khan.

Mehmood Jan of the PTI, who was elected in 2013 general elections by receiving 12, 83 votes, is considered a strong candidate in the constituency.

However, his runner-up in the last polls Hashmat Khan, who contested on the Jamaat-e-Islami ticket, is the other strong candidate. But Mehmood Jan is likely to face a tough contest from PPP’s Kiramatullah Khan in July 25polls.

The PK-68 Peshawar-III is another constituency in the northwest sphere of Peshawar where the PTI candidate is facing a tough contest from the PPP candidate.

Arbab Jehandad Khan is contesting on the PTI ticket, while PPP has awarded ticket to Tamash Khan for the constituency. Both have won once from the constituency and they have intensified the campaign to secure victory. During the delimitation for 2018 election Tamash Khan has got the opportunity to contest from the constituency as his village Nasapa Payan, previously part of PK-67, has been included in it.

Arbab Jehandad Khan and Tamash Khan are considered favourite in the constituency.

Arbab Fazle Akbar, son of PML-N deceased leader and former MPA, Akbar Hayat, Mumtaz Khan of ANP, Arbab Mir Afzal Khan Daudzai of PML, Qari Samiullah Jan of MMA, Wajid Sadique of PPP-Shaheed Bhutto and independent candidate Malik Imroz Khan are in the run for PK-68.