KOHAT: Former MNA Baz Gul Afridi, who resigned from PML-N after the merger of Fata with Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, is contesting election as an independent candidate in NA-51, the tribal subdivision of Darra Adamkhel.

Darra Adamkhel remained one of the important tribal constituencies, as it was a developed one and had a high education ratio among tribal areas. Darra town is sandwiched between Peshawar and Kohat, the headquarters of southern districts.

Three candidates are contesting elections in NA-51, including former Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf MNA Qaiser Jamal, JUI-F’s Maulana Abdul Shakoor and Mr Afridi as an independent.

Former PML-N MNA Baz Gul contesting as independent

Mr Jamal, who was elected in 2013 elections, came under severe criticism after the merger and some of the local people had announced not to support him in the coming election.

Besides this, the JUI-F candidate was not popular enough here to dent the chances of Mr Afridi in the region.

Mr Afridi remained MNA from 1997 to 1999 and had taken part in almost all the elections afterwards. He owns the famous computer market in Peshawar on University Road with the name Gul Haji Plaza.

According to ECP officials here, the total number of registered voters in Darra Adamkhel was 59,042 for whom 54 polling stations had been established. The area’s six tribes include Zarghunkhel, Bostikhel, Tor Chappar, Akhorwal, Jawaki and Sheraki.

An official Azam told this scribe that 395 Khasadars and 315 Levies personnel had been deputed for security purposes on the area roads and in villages. He said that all the polling stations in Darra Adamkhel had been declared normal.

WSSC ACTION: Women here on Wednesday tried to stop the Water Supply and Sanitation Company (WSSC) workers from disconnecting illegal water connections. The company launched the campaign in Malakabad and Junglekhel areas where after some resistance over a dozen pipes were disconnected.

Speaking on the occasion, WSSC manager Mohammad Naeem said that millions of rupees were outstanding against the consumers after the water supply and sanitation was transferred to the company from the tehsil municipal committee. He said that if the people agreed to pay the outstanding bills they would be given a fair amount of compensation.

Published in Dawn, July 19th, 2018