CHITRAL, Oct 2: The fight for NA-32 Chitral has entered the decisive phase and the MMA candidate, Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitrali, is likely to emerge victorious.
The other contestants are Shahzada Iftikhar (PML-QA), Sardar Ali Sardar Aman (PPP) and Abdul Latif (PTI).
The Pakistan Muslim League had won the seat thrice, PPP twice and Jamaat-i-Islami once. Though the district is considered to be a stronghold of the PPP, the division in the ranks has weakened its position.
There are considerable supporters of both the PPP-S and PPP- SB and have fielded their candidates for the provincial assembly seats. For the National Assembly seat one faction is supporting the MMA, whereas the other is supporting PML-QA.
The sub-tehsil of Lotkoh, comprising 95 percent Ismailis, had been a stronghold of the PPP, but this time Shahzada Mohyuddin awarded the party ticket to Sherin Khan advocate, a Union Nazim having affiliation with the PPP.
He has also included Salim Khan in his panel for the district Naib-Nazim, which has strengthened his position.
The 20,000 voters of Lotkoh valley had always been decisive in every election. To counter him the PPP nominated its candidate for the provincial assembly PA seat from Lotkoh.
However, in another Ismaili majority sub-tehsil (Mastuj) with more than 30,000 votes, PPP may claim a clean majority as the PPP candidate is Ismaili by sect from the same tehsil. Moreover, he is from the Zondray clan which constitutes about one third of the population of Mastuj.
Shahzada Iftikhar has been relaying on his hometown Drosh where he may win over about 80 percent votes but its volume is too small.
The MMA has its majority in the sub-tehsils of Mulkhow, Chitral and Arandu while Torkhow sub-tehsil is divided among the three having about 13,000 electorates. The Chitral and Mulkhow sub-tehsils have more than 80,000 voters and will give a leverage to the MMA candidate.
In the meantime both the MMA and PPP are crying hoarse over the alleged involvement of the District Nazim in the election campaign of his son and have been demanding of the Election Commission and the government to suspend his authorities till October 10.
The PTI has very thin support and its nominee is likely to retire in favour of the MMA candidate.
