NOWSHERA, Dec 18: A tough fight is expected on two national and five provincial assembly seats in the district as a total of 41 candidates are in the race despite the withdrawal of papers by several candidates.

For NA-5, PML-Q’s provincial senior vice-president Yehya Shah Kakakhel, PPP’s Engr Tariq Khattak, ANP’s Tariq Hameed Khattak, JUI’s Mufti Sajjad, PML-N’s Ashfaq advocate and two independents —Sajid Shah and Astaghfirullah —have come face to face.

For NA-6, PPP’s Mian Muzaffar Shah advocate, ANP’s Masood Abbas Khattack, and PPP-Sherpao’s (PPP-S) Mian Jamshiduddin Kakakhel are in the field.

For PF-12, PML-N’s central secretary-general Iqbal Zaffar Jhagra, ANP’s provincial secretary-general Mian Iftikhar Hussain, PPP’s Sayed Iftikhar Ali Shah and PML-Q’s Khaliqur Rehman are flexing their political muscles while Mian Nasrullah and Dawlat Khan would participate as independent candidates.

For PF-13, PPP-S’s provincial president Pervaiz Khattak, PML-Q’s Mian Yehya Shah Kakakhel, PPP’s district secretary-general Farooq advocate, ANP’s Zulfiqar Aziz, JUI-F’s Mufti Imtiaz Ali and Ms Sobia Nowsheen (independent) are in the field.

For PF-14, PPP’s district president Liaquat Shabab, ANP’s Malak Aftab, JUI’s Maulana Mujahid, PML-Q’s Fayaz Khan, PML-N’s Abdul Haq and independent candidate Mehboob Sheikh would contest.

PPP’s Mian Akmal Shah advocate, ANP’s Khalil Abbas, PPP-S’s Zulfiqar Bacha, PML-N’s Suhail Khattak are in the fray for PF-15 while Haji Azizullah Jan and Basir Khattak would contest as independent candidates.

For PF-16, PPP’s Qurban Ali Khan, ANP’s Pervaiz Ahmed Khan, PML-Q’s Mian Rahim Shah Kakakhel, PML-N’s Muhammad Tahir Yousafzai, JUI’s Qazi Zahoor Ahmed and Dr Mukhtiar, independent, are in the race.