SWABI: The Awami National Party leadership has completed the award of tickets to its candidates for two National Assembly and six Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly constituencies in Swabi district. However, a controversy erupted soon after and some local leaders have started questioning the process.

The ANP announced its candidates and said that it had awarded party ticket to Gul Zamin Shah for PK-31, Swabi-I; Ameer Rehman, PK-32, Swabi-II; Mohammad Ayaz Khan, PK-33, Swabi-III; Amjad Ali Khan PK-34, Swabi-IV; Mohammad Islam Khan PK-35, Swabi-V; and Sarfaraz Khan, PK-36, Swabi-VI.

The party ticket for NA-12, Swabi-I, was awarded to Waris Khan.

However, the controversy erupted over the ticket for NA-13, Swabi-II, awarded to Shah Nawaz Khan, who belongs to Topi city.

Some leaders say the process lacks transparency

The party leaders said that it was announced that the ticket for NA-13 had been awarded to Shah Nawaz and after 20 minutes the ticket was withdrawn and it was conveyed that ‘consultations’ were still in progress on the matter.

Sources said that the indecision on part of the party created confusion among the workers, especially those of NA-13 and Topi city.

They said that the workers had been asking about the withdrawal of decision and those behind it.

When contacted, Shah Nawaz told this correspondent by phone that he came to know about the award of the ticket and then “consultation” on it through facebook.

However, he said that if the party leadership announced another candidate for NA-13 he would welcome the decision.

Some of the local leaders alleged that Senator Sitara Imran and other leaders, who had applied for the NA-13 ticket, were behind the withdrawal.

When contacted, Sitara Imran said that she had nothing to do with the withdrawal of ticket. However, she admitted that her husband Imran Khan had applied for the NA-13 ticket.

Mohammad Ishfaq, who had applied for the ticket for NA-12, said that the process of award of tickets was not transparent and based on justice.

Published in Dawn, December 1st, 2017