ANP accuses Khattak of running by-election campaign for son, brother

PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party (ANP) local leaders and candidates have accused Defence Minister Pervez Khattak of violating rules of Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) by running the campaign for his son and brother in the by-election to be held on October 14 on two provincial assembly seats in Nowshera district.

Pervez Khattak had won one National Assembly and two Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly seats in July 25 general election. Opting for the National Assembly, he vacated the provincial assembly seats where he had now fielded his younger son Ibrahim Khattak for PK-61 and brother, Liaqat Khattak, former Nowshera district nazim, for PK-64.

“Defence Minister Pervez Khattak is openly violating Election Commission’s rules and participating in the electioneering of his son and brother,” said ANP district President Malik Juma Khan.

He claimed the defence minister was utilising government resources and machinery for his close relatives who are contesting the by-election on the ticket of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).

The ANP office-bearer said Pervez Khattak addressed by-election gatherings in Nowshera last Sunday where workers from different political parties joined the ruling PTI. Opposition parties in Nowshera have agreed to support the ANP candidates for both provincial assembly constituencies. The ANP candidates had secured runner-up position in the two constituencies in the last general election. Shahid Khan Khattak and Noor Alam Khan Advocate of the ANP would contest for PK-64 and PK-61 Nowshera, respectively.

Pervez Ahmad Khan, who contested the July 25 election for PK-61 on the ANP ticket against Pervez Khattak and lost, has now quit the party and formally joined the PTI. The public meeting at his residence in Akora Khattak where he announced joining the PTI had Defence Minister Pervez Khattak as the chief guest.

“The defence minister is promising government jobs and development projects in the by-election campaign,” the ANP candidate for PK-61, Noor Alam Khan alleged. He added that the district administration and police had been engaged in the PTI’s public meetings in Nowshera.

However, when contacted Defence Minister Pervez Khattak told The News that Nowshera was his native town and he would visit his area and continue to maintain contacts with the local

people.

“Under the law, I cannot hold election meetings in the constituencies where by-polls are to be held,” he said. He added that he had attended meetings outside the constituencies of PK-61 and PK-64 in Nowshera.