JUI-F feels betrayed in Swabi by-poll

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SWABI, Aug 25: Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl has alleged that workers of its electoral allies -- Awami National Party and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz -- have not voted for its candidate Maulana Attaul Haq Darvaish in NA-13 constituency in the by-elections.

The local leaders of the electoral allied parties have started pointing finger at each after the defeat of their joint candidate by Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf contender Aqibullah Khan with a clear majority.

The JUI-F leaders said that there was no need of alliance because their expectations from their allies were shattered.

In the May 11 elections, Iftikhar Ahmed Khan of PML-N got 21,338 votes and Mohammad Sarwar Khan of ANP received 14,137 ballots. Where had gone the strength of the two parties and what was their role in the by-elections, questioned the JUI-F leaders.

“We had received 28,000 votes in the general elections and got over 32,000 votes in the by-elections. The additional 4,000 votes were result of our hard work, which we started soon after the seat was vacated by Asad Qaisar,” JUI-F leader Maulana Fazl Ali told this scribe.

On the other hand, the ANP leaders said that they made every possible effort in the worst circumstances for the success of their joint candidate. However, they admitted that the campaign was not really run due to Ramazan. After EIdul Fitr, there were only few days to reaching to the voters, they added.

“These are false allegations and once we entered in an alliance with any party in the past we never looked back. Same was our spirit for our alliance with JUI-F. If anyone has doubt he should read the track record of our party and our leaders that how they supported their allied parties in the past,” said ANP leader Tamraiz Khan.

However, PML-N district general secretary Dildar Khan termed low turnout as the main reason for the defeat of their joint candidate. The turned out was only 22 per cent as people did not participate in the by-election with the previous enthusiasm, he added.

He said that the PML-N candidate withdrew in favour of Maulana Darvaish and they campaigned for him. “I don’t know what the JUI-F leaders want.

There is no need for pointing finger at us because we played our positive role,” Mr Khan added

However, the JUI-F leaders didn’t agree with the statements of their electoral allies and said that they were betrayed in the by-elections.

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