Will Khyber district repeat tradition of electing independent candidate?

BARA: A close contest is expected among the candidates of four political parties and 36 independents who are contesting for National Assembly constituency NA-44 in Bara subdivision in Khyber tribal district.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has fielded Iqbal Afridi, Awami National Party (ANP) has nominated Imran Afridi, Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has put up Sohail Afridi and the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) allotted ticket to Shah Faisal Afridi.

Former federal minister Hameedullah Jan Afridi, Maroof Khan Afridi, and former Member National Assembly (MNA) Nasir Khan Afridi are contesting the election as independents. A close contest is expected among PTI’s Iqbal Afridi, ANP’s Imran Afridi and independent candidates Hameedullah Jan and Maroof Afridi.

The MMA candidate Shah Faisal Afridi and independent candidate Nasir Khan Afridi are also capable of giving a tough time to their rivals. Imran Afridi and Shah Faisal have contested past elections, but have not won. Maroof Afridi is a young and educated candidate.

Mostly independent candidates won the NA-44 which was previously called NA-46.

Former MNA Nasir Khan Afridi had won the seat in the 2013 general election.

Bara Press Club President Hussain Khan Afridi told The News that PTI candidate Iqbal Afridi did not have much support in the constituency.

He said the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami had fielded Izzatullah Hamkhyal.

Hussain Afridi said that Shamsuddin, who was an activist of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl, was contesting the election as an independent candidate as the party did not award him ticket and it could divide the vote of the MMA in the constituency. He said though the PTI candidate did not carry out election campaign in the area, the youth supported the Imran Khan-led party.