KOHAT: Various political parties here have started finalising their candidates for the upcoming general elections. However, it seems the main contest this time would be between Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Among other parties, Pakistan Peoples Party, Awami National Party and PML-N are in a fix due to dearth of winning candidates following rejection by the people keeping in view their past performance.

Sources said that there was a tussle going on in PTI as former governor retired Lt-Gen Iftikhar Hussain Shah wanted award of tickets to new faces while Chief Minister Pervez Khattak supported giving tickets to the current MPAs.

PPP, PML-N and ANP face dearth of winning candidates

They said that the CM wanted the old setup of MPA Ziaullah Bangash, law minister Imtiaz Qureshi and MNA Shehryar Afridi, whereas the future of all three was in doldrums. Rumours are also rife that if Iftikhar Shah was elected as MPA he could be made next chief minister due to his honesty and administrative experience.

Dr Matiullah Shah, a local politician and cousin of Iftikhar Hussain Shah, told this correspondent that at a consultative meeting it had been decided that Iftikhar should contest both on NA-32 and PK-82, if awarded tickets.

Answering a question, he claimed that Pervez Khattak was putting pressure on party chief Imran Khan for his blue eyed and new groups might erupt which could harm Mr Shah’s chances. In that case Mr Shah might contest from PK-82 against Mr Bangash in an independent capacity, he said.

Meanwhile, MMA has already proposed the name of Ghulam Habib (JUI-F), who had lost to PTI’s Amjid Afridi in 2013 elections for PK-80. Talks were on for the PK-82 from where the name of Mir Zaman of JUI-F was being tipped as the likely candidate and PK-81 had been left for Iqbal Fana of Jamaat-i-Islami.

The JUI-F candidate for NA-32 seat would likely be former district nazim Gohar Saifullah on which his contest would be with Shehryar Afridi of PTI.

The PTI’s main aspirants who had applied for tickets include Iftikhar Hussain Shah, Ziaullah Bangash, Shafique Jan and retired Maj Shinwari for PK-82; Imtiaz Qureshi, Daud Afridi and Arshad Khattak for PK-81, and district president Aftab Alam and Waleed Zafar for PK-80.

In case of PML-N, former senator Abbas Afridi is vying to get the NA ticket. His father, Shamim Afridi who was recently elected senator, reportedly did not vote for PML-N in the Senate elections, which could dent the chances of his son getting the party ticket.

His brother, MPA Amjid Afridi, who was expelled from PTI for electioneering for PML-N and JUI-F groups during the no-confidence move against the district nazim, could apply for ANP ticket.

Published in Dawn, April 15th, 2018