PK-71 by-polls: PTI awards ticket to governor’s brother

PESHAWAR: As expected the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) on Friday awarded party ticket to the brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman to contest the by-election for the provincial assembly constituency PK-71.

Talking to The News, the Governor's brother Zulfiqar Khan confirmed that the party has issued the ticket to him. "Yes, I have been officially conveyed the message. I confirm the reports that the party has issued ticket to me for the by-polls," he said.

Shah Farman had won the seat in the July 25 general election by a margin of 8,107 votes. He had secured 17,309 votes. His rival Sifatullah of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz polled 9,202 votes.

Shah Farman had contested election from two provincial assembly seats, PK-70 and PK-71 located in rural Peshawar. He was declared winner from both the seats in the unofficial results, but later his opponent, Awami National Party (ANP)'s Khushdil Khan, a former deputy speaker, sought recounting and was declared winner on PK-70.

Shah Farman had been declared the winner in the unofficial results by a margin of just 47 votes. He had bagged 15,404 votes while Khushdil Khan got 15,357. Khushdil Khan was declared the winner after vote recount. According to official results, he polled 14,871 votes while Shah Farman got 14,686.

Shah Farman vacated PK-71 after he was appointed as Khyber Pakhtunkhwa governor. Provincial President PTI's Youth Wing Sher Ali Afridi had also applied for the party ticket but the Governor's brother was preferred. PTI's Labour Wing senior vice-president and general secretary Surizai Bala Union Council, Imtiaz Khan said Zulfiqar Khan would emerge victorious in the upcoming by-election on the seat. It is not surprising as other PTI leaders have also secured tickets for their family members to contest the by-elections.

Defence Minister Pervez Khattak fielded his brother Liaqat Khattak and son Ibrahim Khattak to contest the by-election on PK-61 and PK-64 constituency in Nowshera, respectively. Pervez Khattak had won both the seats in the July 25 polls.

National Assembly Speaker Asad Qaiser has fielded his brother Aqibullah to contest the by-polls on the provincial assembly seat vacated by him in Swabi. Aqibullah is a former Member National Assembly. He also won the by-polls held on a seat vacated by Asad Qaiser after winning it in the 2013 general election. Former provincial minister Ali Amin Gandapur has fielded his brother Faisal Amin to contest the by-election on the KP Assembly seat, PK-97 Dera Ismail Khan vacated by him.