October 7, 2002	Monday	Rajab 29, 1423

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CHITRAL, Oct 6: Unlike the National Assembly seat, the electorates seem to stand divided in the election of two provincial assembly seats of the district. PF-89 Chitral-I is for Chitral Tehsil and PF-90 Chitral-II is the constituency of Mastuj Tehsil.

Six candidates each are in the run in the two constituencies. Different results are being predicted in each Tehsil. In PF-89, the candidates are Maulana Abdur Rehman (MMA), Mirdullah Jan (PPP), Mohammad Ajmal (PPP-SG), Hussain Ahmed (PPP-SB), Sherin Khan (PML-QA) and Fazle Rahim (PML-N).

As a part of political strategy, both the big parties, People’s Party Parliamentarians (PPP) and Pakistan Muslim League(QA) have nominated their candidates from Lotkoh sub-Tehsil, having predominant Ismaili population. This has undermined the decisive position of the valley, indirectly benefiting the MMA candidate.

Backed by district Nazim Shahzada Mohyuddin, the PML(QA) candidate may win majority in the Drosh sub-Tehsil but there, too, he is facing the PML(N) man who hails from Drosh with personal sphere of influence and may give him a tough time.

The Jamaat-i-Islami and the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam, which now constitute the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, dominate Arandu valley. In the Chitral sub-Tehsil, MMA candidate is likely to get clear majority, leaving the other three far behind. Even the opponents are talking of the success of the MMA.

In PF-90, the contestants are Maulana Jahangir (MMA), Shahzada Nisar (PPP), Zaheeruddin (PPP-SG), Syed Burhan Shah (PPP-SB), Syed Ahmed Khan (PML-QA) and Mumtaz Zareen (PML-N). the candidate of PML(QA) had returned from the constituency twice in the past due to the support of his home sub-Tehsil Torkhow.

But this time, the candidates of both the MMA and the PML(N) threaten his position as both of them happen to hail from Torkhow. it is said that the latter fielded its candidate only to divide the votes of the former MPA.

The candidate of the PPP hails from Mulkhow sub-Tehsil, which is the largest one having more than 26,000 voters and here a cutthroat competition will take place between the MMA and the PPP with some votes “trickling down” to PML(QA).