September 17, 2002	Tuesday	Rajab 9, 1423

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DERA ISMAIL KHAN, Sept 16: The returning officers in the district have issued the final list of 55 candidates for one national assembly and five provincial seats.

Seven candidates are in the run for NA-24 seat, whereas 14 are in the field for PF-64 (City-I) and 11 for PF-65 (City-II). In Paroa, seven candidates would contest for PF-66 and nine would contest for PF-67 in Kulachi. In Paharpur, seven candidates are left to contest for PF-68 seat.

For NA-24, MMA candidate Maulana Fazlur Rehman was earlier considered to be in a strong position but the Alizai, Kundi and Gandapur groups recently came out with an understanding to support the PPP candidate, Faisal Karim Kundi, which would result into a neck and neck contest.

Another reason was that a major part of Pashto speaking and religious minded Dera Ismail Khan population, including Panyala - the ancestral village of Mufti Mehmood - was attached with NA-25, Tank, and Maulana Fazl would not be able to cash on the Pashtoon vote bank.

Mazhar Jamil Khan Alizai, a candidate for PF-64 and a cousin of the District Nazim is the heart favourite in the constituency. Although, MMA candidate advocate Muhammad Sharif is also in a good position but the personal and family influence of Alizai could not be ignored.

Mr Mazhar, while in the chair as Dera Tehsil Naib Nazim, has worked a lot for the uplift of the area and it has been assessed as his basic homework for this election.

In PF-67, the former chief minister of NWFP, Sardar Inayatullah Khan Gandapur, and Qaizar Khan Miankhel are strong opponents but Faisal Amin Gandapur, the son of provincial excise and taxation minister Aminullah Khan, would share the Gandapur votes, which would benefit the Miankhel.

Former provincial minister Makhdoomzada Murid Kazim Shah, vying for the PF-68 seat is considered to be the strongest candidate from the constituency and had earlier rejected the seat adjustment offer extended by Maulana Fazlur Rehman. The MMA in retaliation withdrew the nomination papers of its candidate, Maulana Ataur Rehman, in favour of Anwar Latif Khan, but it seems the withdrawal would not affect the vote bank of Makhdooms.