PESHAWAR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is set to form its second consecutive government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on its own by securing a simple majority in the provincial assembly.
The Imran Khan-led party had secured 34 provincial assembly seats in the 2013 elections before installing government with the support of Jamaat-i-Islami, Qaumi Watan Party, and Awami Jamhoori Ittehad Pakistan, which was later merged with it.
However, it won elections in 66 of the total 97 constituencies on July 25, 2018, and thus, being able to form the next government without the support of any other party.
The religio-political alliance, MMA, is the runner-up in the elections by winning 10 provincial assembly seats.
Wins 66 of total 97 provincial assembly seats
The PTI candidates have also won 35 of the total 51 National Assembly seats, including 39 constituencies of KP and 12 of the tribal areas merged with the province lately.
It has won election on 29 of the NA constituencies of KP and six of the merged tribal regions.
The party is now in a position to form government in the province without support of any other party.
PTI chief Imran Khan has defeated Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl central leader Akram Durrani in NA-35 Bannu by securing113,822 votes. Mr Durrani got 106,820 votes.
Mr Durrani, a former chief minister, however, managed to win his provincial assembly seat, PK-90 Bannu-IV.
Shahbaz Sharif and Bilawal Bhutto Zardari have lost election for NA seats from Swat and Malakand, respectively.
Of the 99 provincial assembly constituencies, elections were postponed on two due to the killing of candidates Haroon Ahmad Bilour and Ikramullah Gandapur in suicide bombings.
The PTI has swept elections in Peshawar, Swat and Nowshera districts by winning all national and provincial assembly seats.
It won all five NA and 13 PA seats in Peshawar, three NA and eight PA seats in Swat, and two NA and five PA seats in Nowshera.
However, ANP candidate Khushdil Khan, who lost to Shah Farman of the PTI in PK- 50 Peshawar by a margin of 47 votes, has filed an application with the relevant returning officer for vote recount.
The ANP secured six provincial assembly seats, while the PPP and PML-N begged four each. Four independent candidates were also elected.
While Maulana Fazlur Rehman of the MMA lost election for two NA seats, his son, Maulana Asad Mahmud, has claimed victory in NA- 37 Tank by defeating Habibullah Kundi of the PTI.
Of the 39 NA seats of KP, three were won by the MMA, two by the PML-N, one each by the ANP and the PPP, and four by independents.
Former chief minister Ameer Haider Hoti of the ANP won his both national and provincial assembly seats in Mardan.
He defeated Atif Khan, a key PTI leader and former provincial minister, in NA- 21 with a small margin of 34 votes. Atif has won his PA seat.
Similarly, the PTI also proved his mettle in the recently merged tribal areas as it secured six of the 12 NA seats there.
On the remaining six NA seats, three were won by the MMA, two by independents and one by the PPP.
Two leaders of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, Ali Wazir and Mohsin Dawar, were elected in their independent capacity on NA-50 South Waziristan and NA-48 North Waziristan, respectively.
Published in Dawn, July 27th, 2018
