UPPER DIR: The Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) suffered a setback in its stronghold of Upper Dir district on Tuesday when, according to unofficial and preliminary results, its candidate in a by-election for a Khyber Pukhtunkhwa Assembly seat lost to his PPP rival.
According to Dawn.Com, JI’s Malik Azam Khan who was supported by the Tehreek-i-Insaf and Qaumi Watan Party, lost to Sahibzada Sanaullah of the PPP, who was backed by JUI-F and Awami National Party.
According to unofficial results from the constituency’s 120 polling stations, Sahibzada Sanaullah secured 21,850 votes and Malik Azam 16,120. The voter turnout was 34 per cent. A distinguishing feature of the polling was a sizeable number of women seen at different polling stations for the first time in the area.
The seat fell vacant after JI lawmaker Malik Behram was disqualified by an election tribunal on a petition filed by Sahibzada Sanaullah, who had also contested the seat in 2013 general elections. The petition was based on objections over Malik Behram’s degree. The JI fielded his son Malik Azam in the by-election.
Dawn reporter adds from Karachi: PPP Chairman Bilawal Bhutto-Zardari said the “victory” of his party’s candidate in the by-election proved that the elements who created, promoted, patronised and appeased terrorists had been defeated by PPP-led democratic forces on the International Day Democracy.
“It is a moment of joy for the nation. I salute Jiyalas of KP, particularly from Upper Dir, for defeating representatives of forces of darkness in the by-election,” he said in a statement.
He congratulated Sahibzada Sanaullah and said results showed that Bhuttoism was invincible. He described the unofficial results as a defeat of “terrorists, conspirators, haters, Taliban apologists and political mercenaries.” He added, “Bhuttoism is the only path that can lead the nation to security, prosperity, peace and justice.”
He praised women voters for actively participating in the polling and said the PPP had always fought for equal rights of women and his mother, former prime minister Benazir Bhutto, would always be respected for her role in the struggle for emancipation of women.
Published in Dawn, September 16th, 2015
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