Successful campaigns ensured win for independents in Khyber district

BARA: The independent candidates won all the three seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly in the July 20 election in the Khyber district only after carrying out successful poll campaigns.

A total of 216133 are registered voters including 92450 women voters in PK-107 in Bara subdivision of Khyber district. According to the election commission, the turnout was 17.49 in PK-107, Bara. About 31297 men and 6498 women cast their votes for the PK-107. The independent candidate Muhammad Shafiq defeated another independent candidate and former federal minister Hameedullah Jan in PK-107. Shafiq got 9796 votes while Hameedullah Jan polled 8428 votes. Muhammad Zubair of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf got 6375 votes. Jamaat Islami candidate Shah Faisal Afridi secured 4,919 while JUI-F candidate Maulana Shamsuddin got 3,296 votes.

Muhammad Shafiq Afridi was an activist of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf party. He had joined the PTI last year but the party did not award ticket to him. It prompted him to contest election as an independent candidate. Independent candidate Bilawal Afridi, son of former MNA Shahjee Gul and nephew of Senator Taj Muhammad got 12,814 votes. He was in the run for PK-106. His close relative Khan Shaid Afridi, a dissident of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) got 6304 votes. PTI Amir Mohammad Khan Afridi obtained 5,930 votes for PK-106.

Independent candidate in PK-105 Shafiq Sher Afridi, who is also a nephew of Senator Taj Mohammad Afridi and Shahjee Gul was elected to Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. He polled 19733 votes. His rival Shermat Khan Afridi got 10,745 while PTI candidate Shahid Hussain Shinwari got 2895 votes.