LAKKI MARWAT: A close contest is expected between Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Ishfaq Ahmad Khan Meenakhel and Maulana Mohammad Anwar of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal in the only national assembly seat of NA-36 in Lakki Marwat district.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has established 394 polling stations in the district to facilitate 421,224 voters, including 185,062 women, to exercise their right of franchise.

Mr Ishfaq, who remained district nazim for two years and resigned from the post of nazim Lakki-I union council to take part in national elections, belongs to influential Meenakhel family. During his tenure as district nazim he carried out a lot of uplift works both in Lakki city and rural areas, including pavement of streets, water supply schemes, provision of gas and electricity to the residents of urban locality. He also got approved a third power feeder for the city by using the influence of Saifullah brothers.

Political analysts say Mr Ishfaq had improved coordination and relations with councillors to win their support for his future plan of participating in general elections. In many localities the councillors are seeking people’s support for him.

The PTI candidate has good number of voters in Lakki city and rural areas of PK-91, Lakki Marwat-I. The urban locality has over 30,000 votes and it is expected that many urban voters would vote for Mr Ishfaq, who is also the native of the locality.

However, his vote bank is thin in other two provincial assembly constituencies and he will have to rely on support of Saifullahs in the rural localities to ensure his victory.

The Saifullahs are running a joint campaign with Ishfaq and other PTI aspirants for provincial assembly seats, convincing supporters to cast votes in favour of PTI contenders.

Humayun Saifullah Khan has spared himself to win support for Ishfaq in Kurrum Par; Anwar Saifullah and Salim Saifullah Khan have focused on upper Marwat area to strengthen the position of PTI aspirants. The spiritual dynasties of Taunsa Sharif and Ghari Sharif have also extended their support to the PTI candidates.

On the other hand, MMA’s Maulana Anwar is a new entrant in the electoral politics as he spent over 40 years teaching religious education in a seminary in Darra Pezu town. He has tens of thousands of disciples in the district, who are the major vote bank of MMA candidates.

Though new in politics, Anwar knows the art of linking religion with politics to get votes.

Few days ago, JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman addressed big public gatherings in Tajori and Naurang towns, sending a clear message to rivals not to take light the fight with MMA.

Published in Dawn, July 14th, 2018