November 27, 2007	Tuesday	Ziqa’ad 16, 1428

PESHAWAR, Nov 26: A number of political heavyweights have filed nomination paper in Charsadda, which was a stronghold of Bacha Khan’s Red Shirt volunteers and a bastion for a brief period of the famous peasant movement.

The Awami National Party, Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam (F), Pakistan People’s Party, Pakistan, PPP (Sherpao) and the Pakistan Muslim League have fielded their candidates here for the two national and six provincial assembly seats.

The ANP has nominated its chief Asfandyar Wali Khan for NA-7, Charsadda-I, and the JUI (F) has fielded Maulana Gauhar Shah who won the seat in the last elections.

Last time, the Maulana, riding on the crest of a religious wave, crushed his secular opponents, but this time he faces a tough fight. A former PPP (Sherpao) MPA Arshad Khan has filed papers for the seat as an independent candidate.

Chief of his own faction of the PPP and former interior minister Aftab Khan Sherpao has filed papers for NA-8, Charsadda-II. He will be facing Bashir Khan Umarzai, district president of the ANP, Naseer Ahmed Khan, sitting Nazim of Charsadda and a nominee of the PPP, and Maulana Mohammad Idress, a former MPA of JUI (F).

Mr Sherpao is said to be working for an adjustment with the JUI (F) for this seat and also for PF-20, Charsadda-IV, for which he filed nomination papers.

According to the JUI (F) sources, they had entered into a ‘50-50 deal’ with the PPP (S) in the district. The PPP (S) will retain NA-8, PF-19, PF-20 and PF-21; the rest will go to the JUI (F).

PPP’s electoral adjustment with the JUI (F) has triggered a sort of revolt in the party and its activists Arshad Khan and Mohammad Tariq Kakakhel have filed their papers independently for PF-17 and PF-18, respectively.

It is reported that PPP (S) has nominated Hashim Khan for PF-17, Ehsanullah Khan for PF-18, Alamzeb Khan Umarzai for PF-19, Sikandar Hayat Sherpao for PF-21 and Mohammad Ali Mohmand for PF-22. But, it has not allotted ticket to Arshad Khan, a former MPA from Charsadda. Federal minister Nisar Mohammad Khan commands a sizeable following in the district. His elder son Naseer Ahmed Khan is contesting on the PPP ticket against Mr Sherpao from NA-8. His youngest son Saeed Ahmed Khan is in the PML. If PML joins hands with PPP (S), the three-party alliance may give a tough time to candidates fielded by other parties, including the ANP and the PPP.

The Jamaat-i-Islami has also fielded its candidates for seats in Charsadda after the JUI (F) did not consult with the former before striking a deal with PPP (Sherpao).