SHANGLA: Several of the PTI leaders in Shangla are optimistic about getting the party’s tickets to contest the upcoming elections in their respective constituencies, claiming they’ve worked a lot for both the party and people.

The district has one National Assembly seat i.e. NA-10 and two of the provincial Assembly (PK-23 and PK-24).

There are three hopefuls for PTI election ticket in NA-10, PK-23 and PK-24 each.

Waqar Ahmad Khan from Shahpur, Engineer Abdul Tawab Khan from Chakesar and Nawaz Mehmood Khan from Chakesar are understood to have been shortlisted by the PTI for interview for NA-10 ticket.

Mr Waqar had joined the PTI in 2014 after quitting the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

He had contested the previous election in PK-23 as the PML-N candidate and secured 2,965 votes.

Say they deserve nomination over massive work for party, people

“I am hopeful to get the party ticket as I’ve showed my good performance in the local government elections. I claim to be a popular leader in Shangla and therefore, I deserve the election ticket,” he told Dawn.

Engineer Abdul Tawab, who also aspires to get the NA-10 ticket, had left the JUI-F to join the PTI in Nov 2013.

He told Dawn that he had been actively participating in the party’s activities and had a lot of development and social work to his credit.

Mr Tawab said he would enthusiastically work for Shangla’s development, especially in education and health sectors, if he was given the election ticket and was elected MNA.

He also said his efforts had let the party grab more votes in the local body elections than the last general elections.

Nawaz Mehmood claimed that he had been serving the party for the last 20 years and had record contributions for it.

He said he was the most deserving and suitable candidate for NA-10 as he could defeat PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam in the constituency.

The PTI’s sources said Shaukat Ali Yousafzai, his younger brother Liaquat Yousafzai from Bisham and Waqar Ahmad Khan from Shahpur had been shortlisted for PK-23 ticket and ousted MPA Haji Abdul Munim, his younger brother Abdul Mula and Akhtar Ali Chattan from Chakesar for PK-24’s.

They said Shaukat Yousafzai, spokesman for the provincial government, was striving to get party tickets for contesting elections in both PK-23 and a Peshawar constituency but if he failed to get one for Shangla, his brother, Liaquat Ali Yousafzai, would certainly get it.

Mr Waqar Ahmad said he had applied for both NA-10 and PK-23 constituencies and it was up to the leadership to decide about where he should contest the elections.

Mr Liaquat said he and his brother had got massive development projects done in Shangla district and would contest elections on that basis.

The situation is no different in PK-24.

The sources said if disqualified MPA Abdul Munim was not awarded the party ticket, his younger brother, Abdul Mula, was likely to be fielded in the constituency.

Akhtar Ali Chattan said he was optimistic for election nomination after the disqualification of Haji Abdul Munim.

“I have been associated with the party since 1999 and has worked diligently for the party,” he said.

Abdul Mula had obtained 3,600 votes in the 2008 elections as the JUI-F candidate for PK-24.

Published in Dawn, May 26th, 2018