QWP fails to secure any seat

PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI)’s tsunami swept away the Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) as well as none of its candidates could win election on the national and provincial assembly constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The QWP, led by former interior minister Aftab Sherpao, had allotted tickets to 51 candidates for the provincial and 17 candidates for the National Assembly constituencies but none including the party Chairman Aftab Sherpao and provincial head Sikandar Sherpao could win election.

QWP secretary information Tariq Khan confirmed to The News that none of his party candidates could win election, saying only one candidate, Asadullah Qureshi, contesting election on provincial assembly seat from Kohistan was declared a winner but later he was announced to be loser.

“These elections and its results are visible to all. You can judge these elections and its results by the fact that 7,000 votes of Sikandar Sherpao were rejected,” said the information secretary, adding: “The ballot papers have been prepared in such a manner, which had confused the voters while casting votes.”

Tariq Khan said that Aftab Sherpao had rejected the election results and attended the All Parties Conference (APC) in Islamabad on Friday.

He added the party would draw the future line of action after consultation with the senior Pakhtun nationalist leaders.

Aftab Sherpao was contesting for NA-23, Charsadda, which was earlier known as NA-8, before delimitation of constituencies. He was elected as MNA from the constituency in the 2002, 2008 and 2013 general elections.

Aftab Sherpao had secured 42,326 votes in the 2002 election against his rival from ANP Iftikhar Khan Matta, who had got 18,346 votes.

The senior Sherpao got 30,626 votes in the 2008 election against his then ANP rival Bashir Khan Umarzai who had received 29,951 votes.

Aftab Sherpao again won this seat in the 2013 election and got 37,046 against his strong political opponents, JUI-F’s Musammir Shah who polled 33, 836.

The then PTI’s candidate Jehanzeb Khan Dhakki had grabbed 30,089 votes. But Malik Anwar Taj of the PTI got 59,371 votes while Aftab Sherpao polled 33,561 in the 2018 election.

Even the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) candidate Zafar Ali Khan could gain 41,391 votes, which were more than Aftab Sherpao. Zafar Ali Khan was earlier in the QWP.

The party’s provincial chairman Sikandar Sherpao, general secretary Hashim Baber, Hashim Khan from Charsadda, former minister Habib Tanoli, and former MPA Adnan Wazir were among those who could not retain the seats. The provincial chairman Sikandar Sherpao was defeated on PK-56, Charsadda by Khalid Mohmand. Before joining the PTI, Khalid Mohmand was in the QWP.

Similarly, the former QWP MPAs including Sultan Khan and Karim Khan, who quit the party and contested election on PTI’s ticket, were elected as MPAs.

The parliamentary board comprising former senator Hashim Baber, Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli and Asadullah Qureshi had allotted tickets to the candidates.

Of the NA candidates, one ticket was awarded to Sher Ali Mirwani for NA-265, Balochistan, Naseer Khan for NA-40, Bajaur, Mustafa Khan for NA-42, Mohmand, Aasamuddin for NA-47, Orakzai, Jehanzeb Khan for NA-48, North Waziristan, and Malik Atta Mir for NA-49, South Waziristan.

Former MPAs Habibur Rehman Tanoli and Maulana Asmatullah, who had recently joined the QWP, were awarded tickets for PK-32, Mansehra, and PK-27, Kohistan.

Imtiaz Bibi, Nargis Sameen and Rabia Gul advocate were allotted tickets for PK-51, Mardan, PK-72, Peshawar, and PK-37, Abbottabad, respectively.

The candidates, who were awarded tickets for the Balochistan Assembly constituencies, include Abdul Jalil Baizai for PB-18, Mir Alam Yousafzai for PB-25, Hazrat Achakzai for PB-28 and Abdul Waheed Mirwani for PB-29.

Other candidates included Hayat Khan, NA-4, Swat; Noorul Amin, NA-11, Kohistan; Rustam Khan, NA-12, Battagram; Asif Fida, NA-14, Mansehra; Mohammad Iqbal, NA-15, Abbottabad; Jamil Hussain, NA-16, Abbottabad; Masood Jabbar, NA-18, Swabi, and Khalil Bacha, NA-19, Swabi.

Fazle Rehman, PK-5, Swat; Sajjad Khan, PK-8; Nasrullah Khan, PK-9: Said Nabi Bakhsh, PK-14; Ibrar Khan, PK-18, Malakand; Jehangir Khan, PK-19, Malakand; Bakht Biland Khan, PK-22; Sajjad Ahmed Khan, PK-24 Shangla; Asadullah, PK-25, Kohistan; Javed Khan, PK-28, Battagram; Saeed, PK-29, Battagram; Tabarak Ahmed, PK-30, Mansehra; Mohammad Bilal Zahid, PK-31, Mansehra; Ziyad bin Ayub, PK-38 Abbottabad; Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, PK-39; Ziaullah, PK-43, Swabi, Sultan Sher, PK-44; Hameedullah Khan, PK-45; Burhanullah, PK-46, Swabi; Rehman Ali, PK-47, Swabi; Yousaf Zaman, PK-50, Mardan; Babar Khan, PK-52; Walayat Khan, PK-53, Mardan; Arshad Umarzai, PK-57, Charsadda; Abdur Rehman, PK-58, Hasham Khan, PK-59; Babar Ali Khan, PK-60, Charsadda; and Ishtiaqur Rehman, PK-65, Nowshera.

Mohammad Shafi Daudzai, PK-67; Israr Khan, PK-69; Niazur Rehman, PK-70; Zar Mohammad Khan, PK-71; Falak Niaz Khalil, PK-73; Amjid Ali, PK-76; Adeel Awan, PK-77; Mohammad Shah, PK-78; Ghulam Haider, PK-79; Ziaul Mulk, PK-86, Karak; Faheemullah Azad, PK-87, Bannu; Farmanullah Khan, PK-88; Faridullah, PK-90, Bannu; Amir Zada Khan, PK-93, Lakki Marwat; Abdul Wahid Khan, PK-94, Tank.