PESHAWAR: Various parties have announced to support Awami National Party candidate in the by-polls on PK-71 against the candidate of the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf.

Speaking at a joint press conference at Peshawar Press Club on Wednesday, Pakistan People’s Party leader Misbahuddin Khan, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz district councillor Raham Dil Nawaz and Awami National Party MPA Khushdil Khan said that opposition parties were united to win the by-elections.

Khushdil Khan said that his party was also in contact with the leaders of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl and Jamaat-i-Islami to get their support for ANP candidate Salahuddin Mohmand and give tough time to the PTI candidate.

Similarly, Misbahuddin said that total votes grabbed by the candidates in the July25 general elections were 29,000 and PTI candidate Shah Farman had bagged 17,000 votes and won the election. He said that the opposition votes would go to one candidate, who would hopefully win with overwhelming majority.

Raham Dil Nawaz also assured support to ANP, saying that his party leadership had taken the decision otherwise runner-up on the seat was Haji Sifatullah of PML-N but he declined to contest the by by-polls.

He said that another aspirant of PML-N Amanullah also withdrew his nomination papers in support of the ANP nominee.

Khushdil said that his party candidate had objected to the activities of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman, who had turned the Governor’s House into an election cell.

“We have also submitted complaint to Election Commission of Pakistan to take notice of the governor’s political activities and misuse of government resources in the election campaign,” he said.

The ANP lawmaker said that opposition believed that Imran Khan was a selected prime minister and had come into powers through fake mandate. He said that the people would extend full support to his party’s candidate as the government failed to materialise its commitments and instead increased price of daily use commodities.

PTI has awarded ticket for by-polls on PK-71to the brother of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Shah Farman. By-polls for the vacant seat will be held on October 21.

Published in Dawn, October 4th, 2018