PTI’s MNA-elect says people rejected JUI-F in DI Khan

PESHAWAR: Member National Assembly (MNA)-elect from NA-39, Dera Ismail Khan-II, Muhammad Yaqoob Sheikh on Tuesday said that failure to serve the people and not rigging was the real cause of the defeat of chief of Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) Maulana Fazlur Rehman in the July 25 general elections.

“Maulana Fazlur Rehman did nothing for the people of his constituency during the past three decades and that is why the people did not vote for him this time,” he told a press conference at the Peshawar Press Club here.

Yaqoob Sheikh, who was the candidate of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) against the JUI-F chief in the general election, said that the people got fed up with the unfulfilled and hollow claims of the JUI-F and rejected the party in the polls.

“The PTI defeated stalwarts of the rival political parties with huge margins. The people have rejected the traditional and status-quo politicians and political parties,” he added. The MNA-elect said that Maulana Fazlur Rehman did not bother to visit his constituency and instead avoided meeting the people who had voted for him when he was member of the Parliament.

He alleged that the Maulana did not initiate even a small project during the past 10 years in Dera Ismail Khan, let alone carrying out any mega project in the area.

“There is acute shortage of drinking water in the area and unemployment ratio is very high, the MNA-elect said, adding that limited educational opportunities were troubling the students.

He said the politics of the Maulana was limited to distribution/provision of transformers and nothing more.

“The people chose the PTI as alternative force and we would prove by our actions that the PTI is doing the politics of the welfare of the people and would address the genuine problems of the masses,” he added.

Yaqoob Sheikh said that he would persuade the upcoming government of the PTI to chalk out a comprehensive plan for irrigating 380,000 acres of barren land in Dera Ismail Khan and construct the roads, which were in a dilapidated condition.

He said that the unemployment in the area could be addressed by setting up factories and mills in the area.

Yaqoob Sheikh defeated the JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman with a huge margin of 27,303 votes. Yaqoon Sheikh secured 79,334 while Maulana Fazl bagged 52,031 votes.

His party JUI-F and the alliance of religio-politico parties MMA have rejected the results of the general election on charges of rigging and launched a protest campaign to demand a fresh election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.