ABBOTTABAD April 20: The withdrawal of Baba Haider Zaman of Tehrik Sooba Hazara from NA-17, Abbottabad-I, could prove favourable to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi in the upcoming election. Mr Zaman has opted to contest the polls from NA-18, Abbottabad-II.

Besides, political observers claim that PML-N has regained its lost ground, as a group of PTI is annoyed over the award of party tickets for different constituencies of Abbottabad. They say that PTI’s central vice-president Ali Asghar Khan, divisional president Sardar Sher Bahadar and few other office-bearers of the district and Hazara division are likely to distance themselves from the election campaign.

Currently, 11 candidates have been left in the run for NA-17 after withdrawal of nomination papers. Among them are: Methab Abbasi of PML-N, Azhar Khan Jadoon of PTI, Tariq Sultan of JUI-F and Habibur Rehman of JI.

In NA-18, 11 candidates will contest the election and prominent among them are Sardar Mohammad Yaqub of PTI, Baba Haider Zaman, Murtaza Javed Abbasi of PML-N, Waheed Akhter Tanoli of JI and Sardar Ibrar Ahmed of JUI-F. Political pundits say that in case Baba is contesting then votes of Sardar tribe will be divided. Resultantly, Murtaza Abbasi will gain as voters in PK-48, where Barrister Javed Abbasi of PML-N is contesting election, would also support him.

As many as 23 candidates are in the run for the Abbottabad  city seat (PK-44) and Inyatullah Khan Jadoon of PML-N will be trying to re-capture his seat against other prominent candidates Mushtaq Ahmed Ghani (independent), who was elected in 2002 on PML-Q ticket. Among other prominent candidates are Shamroz Khan Jadoon (PPP), Mehboob Elahi ( JI), Sultan Khan Jadoon (TSH) and Asif Zubair Sheikh (PTI).

PK-45, the hometown of Mehtab Abbasi, is dominated by him since 1985. Other candidates include Abdur Rehman Abbasi (PTI), Iqrar Abbasi (Deni Mahaz) and Nazeer Abbasi (independent).

In PK-46, Qalandar Khan Lodhi (independent) will be trying to retain his seat. So far prominent among other candidates are Ayub Khan Afridi (PML-N), Adnan Bashir (PPP), Pir Khan Tanoli (JI), Mohabat Awan (Ind) and Sajjad Akbar (PTI).

Nisar Sardar of PTI, Aurangzeb Nulhota of PML-N and Ijaz Zar Khan are said to be the prominent candidates in PK-47.