PESHAWAR: The ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf, which had expelled Qaumi Watan Party from the provincial government twice on corruption charges, has surprisingly struck an agreement with its former partner for the Senate elections scheduled to be held today (Saturday).

QWP candidate for the Senate Anisa Zeb Tahirkheli and PTI MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai confirmed the deal, saying both parties will support each other candidates in the polls.

“Both parties have reached an agreement for the Senate polls. The MPAs of QWP and PTI will vote for their respective candidates,” Ms Anisa told Dawn on Friday.

Efforts underway to ‘accommodate’ Jamaat in deal

The QWP leader said efforts were also underway to accommodate the Jamaat-i-Islami in the deal.

Under the deal, the PTI MPAs will support Ms Anisa, the sole candidate of the QWP for the women’s seat in the Senate from KP, while the QWP’s assembly members will vote for all six candidates of the PTI in all three categories, including technocrat and women.

A total of 10 MPAs were elected on the QWP ticket in 2013. However, three of them formally abandoned the party.

The PTI had expelled the QWP from the coalition government in the province first on corruption charges against the latter’s ministers and later on difference over the Panama Papers leaks issue in 2017.

Other political parties in the KP Assembly, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz, Jamaat-i-Islami and Awami National Party, also struck deals for the Senate elections.

PML-N parliamentary leader in the assembly Sardar Aurangzeb Nalotha said his party had made an agreement with the JI and ANP.

He said under the agreement, MPAs of the JI and ANP would give vote to two PML-N candidates for general and technocrat seats in the Senate.

The PML-N and ANP will support JI candidate for general seat Mushtaq Ahmad Khan, while the JI and PML-N will back ANP’s candidate for women’s seat Shagufta Malik.

Also, the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and PML-N made deal for the polls.

The JUI-F and Pakistan People’s Party have also reached understanding on different categories, former JUI-F information secretary Abdul Jalil Jan said.

PPP parliamentary Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha also confirmed that the JUI-F would support his party’s candidate on women’s seat, Rubina Khalid.

He said the PPP would reciprocate the JUI-F’s support in the polls.

Mr Bacha said the party had also finalised deals with other opposition parties for the Senate elections.

PTI’S DILEMMA: The ruling PTI, which has already lost loyalty and support of several MPAs, is facing a tough challenge of getting its six candidates elected as Senators on all three categories and JUI-S chief Maulana Samiul Haq, who is a candidate for the technocrat’s seat.

When contacted, PTI MPA Shaukat Ali Yousafzai said, “The party is in hot water in the Senate polls. The big dilemma for the PTI is how to get Maulana Sami elected.”

The lawmaker said his party’s first priority was to get its all six Senate candidates elected and therefore, it had struck a deal with the QWP.

“Maulana (Samiul Haq) sahib should understand our problems and should withdraw from the race,” he said.

Mr Sami is under treatment in Islamabad.

His elder son, Maulana Hamidul Haq held a meeting with KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak on Thursday to secure the support of PTI MPAs for his father in the Senate elections.

He said the PTI was trying to get his father elected as a Senator.

Meanwhile, a total of 27 candidates, including independents, will contest for seven general seats, two technocrat and two women seats.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has declared the provincial assembly the polling station for Senate polls and announced that the polling would be held from 9am to 4pm.

Provincial Election Commissioner Pir Maqbool Ahmad, who is the presiding officer for the Senate elections, visited the premises on Friday and finalised all arrangements for polls. Election material was also dispatched to the assembly building.

In the 124-strong house, 122 MPAs will cast vote in the elections as PTI’s Abdul Moneem Khan was disqualified by the court and its minority seat has been lying vacant since April 2016.

Published in Dawn, March 3rd, 2018