CHITRAL, Sept 7: The rejection of the nomination papers of Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, a nominee of Muttahida Majlis-i- Amal (MMA), for NA-32, Chitral, by the returning officer has improved chances of PML-Q candidate in the constituency.

The district has been a stronghold of Jamaat-i-Islami, the major component of the MMA, and the prospects of the success of Maulana Chitrali were higher than the two candidates of PPP and PML-Q.

The nomination papers of the Maulana were rejected by the RO questioning his educational qualification. The Maulana has now moved the election tribunal of the Peshawar High Court, which has fixed Sept 10 for hearing.

At the same time, both the parties are attaching different hopes, both positive and negative, with the rejection of the papers.

The close circles of the MMA are of the view that in case Maulana Chitrali’s papers are finally rejected by the tribunal, the PML-Q will definitely win whose nominee is Shahzada Iftikharuddin, the son of District Nazim Shahzada Mohiuddin, the one-time ally of JI.

The nominee of the PPP, Sardar Ali, a retired postmaster- general of the NWFP, who belongs to the Ismaili community, will hardly win any vote of the MMA voters.

The MMA has not fielded any covering candidate for the constituency and, as a result, the alliance will have no alternative candidate for the constituency.