SHANGLA: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz split into two groups here as its senior leader and former provincial minister Pir Mohammad Khan’s brother, Pervaiz Khan, on Monday began canvassing the residents as an independent candidate in the NA-11 constituency for the upcoming elections.

Mr Pervaiz, who is also the uncle of former MPA Fazalullah, earlier announced his candidature for the NA-11 and claimed the Pakistan Peoples Party’s support for him.

The “Raja Family” of Puran has decided to field its member, Mr Pervaiz, in the NA-11 elections as an independent contestant, according to his brother Dr Mumtaz Ali.

He told Dawn that the PPP and former National Assembly candidate Amir Sultan would support Mr Pervaiz in elections.

“My brother [Mr Pervaiz] will contest elections at all costs as the PML-N’s senior leadership always ignored us,” he said.

Dr Mumtaz said his family had taken its supporters and sympathisers abroad about the decision and that the election campaign of Mr Pervaiz was “in full swing.”

Coordinator of the Pakistan Peoples Party for Malakand division Afsarulmulk confirmed his party’s support for Mr Pervaiz in elections.

He told Dawn that as the PPP candidates, he would contest elections from PK-28 Shangla-I, while his cousin, Hamid Iqbal, would be in the electoral arena from PK-29 Shangla-II with the Raja family backing them.

When contacted, Pir Mohammad’s son and former MPA Fazalullah said he was out of the district, so he didn’t know about his family’s decision about the election nomination of Mr Pervaiz.

PML-N general secretary in Shangla and tehsil nazim Bakht Alam Khan said the party didn’t name Mr Pervaiz as election candidate and if he had decided to contest the next election independently, it was his “choice.”

He said his party’s nominee in the NA-11 constituency would be its provincial president, Amir Muqam.

“If the Raja Family applies for the party’s nomination for the provincial assembly election, then it can get the ticket, but there is no chance of Pervaiz being named for the NA-11 elections,” he said.

Party sources claimed Muqam held several meetings with members of the

Raja Family and even visited the Raja House in Puran but failed to bring Mr Pervaiz around.

They said Pir Mohammad Khan had close ties with Mr Muqam.

Published in Dawn, November 21st, 2023