PESHAWAR, Aug 18: Awami National Party (ANP) has short-listed its candidates for Peshawar district’s four National Assembly and 11 provincial assembly seats here on Sunday, according to party sources.
Over 50 aspirants of the Pukhtoon nationalist party tickets to contest the up-coming elections on the four National and 11 provincial assembly seats of the Peshawar district were interviewed by the five-member parliamentary board headed by renowned lawyer Qazi Mohammed Anwar, here on Sunday.
The parliamentary board’s secretary Mian Iftikhar, a former member of the NWFP assembly, told Dawn that final decision in respect of fielding candidates on the Peshawar district seats had not yet been made.
However, over 25 suitable candidates for the four National Assembly seats and 11 provincial assembly seats, from Peshawar district, had been short-listed.
The decision of the parliamentary board is subject to the possibility of seat-to-seat adjustment with other political parties.
The NWFP chapter of ANP has authorized the party’s district organizations to decide list of their respective districts candidates on the basis of seat-to-seat adjustment with other political parties. However, final decision to the district-based alliances with other political parties would be okayed by the provincial cabinet of the party.
According to Mian Iftikhar, the parliamentary board awarded ticket on NA-1 to Bashir Ahmed Bilour and his son Usman Bilour. Sources said that if the party did not reach on an agreement with any other political party on this particular seat then Usman Bilour would contest the elections. Traditionally, Bashir Bilour’s elder brother Ghulam Bilour has been contesting on this seat and returned to the national assembly on three occasions during the last four elections. However, this time round due to the graduation condition the older Bilour is not eligible to contest the election, hence, ticket for the said seat has been awarded to his nephew with a condition that the same might be left open if the party entered into election alliance with any other political party.
The parliamentary board did not allot party ticket on the NA-2 which has been a strong-hold of former chief minister Arbab Jehangir - who returned to the National Assembly in the last elections on the ANP ticket.
However, due to come differences with the party leadership Arbab Jehangir has not applied for the ANP ticket though, according to party sources, he has not resigned from the party.
“Though he [Arbab Jehangir] did not apply for the party ticket, the party leadership is waiting for his decision,” said a senior ANP leader.
Two candidates have been short-listed for NA-3. They include Taj-ud-Din and Arbab Aziz Ullah. Similarly, two candidates have been short-listed for NA-4. They are Arbab Zahir and Dr Rehan. Arbab Zahir has been to the national and provincial assemblies more than once whereas Dr Rehan is a former senator.
Of the 11 provincial assembly seats, Alamzeb has been awarded ticket for PF-1, Saeed Nazir Baghi for PF-2 and Bashir Bilour for PF-3.
Jibran Adeel, son of the senior ANP leader Haji Mohammed Adeel, has been short-listed along with three other probables for PF-4. Arbab Saif-ur-Rehman or Bilal Shah would contest on PF-5. Similarly, on PF-6 three candidates have been short-listed. They are Haji Mohammed Adeel, Pir Fayaz and Razaullah Khan advocate.
No decision has been made about the allotment of ticket on PF-7 - a strong hold of the party’s senior leader Abdul Rehman Kafoor Dehri, who has consistently been returning to the provincial assembly. However, due to the graduation condition he, too, could not contest the forthcoming elections.
Saddar Ullah has been awarded party ticket for PF-8 whereas Naeem advocate has been awarded party ticket for PF-9.
Two candidates have been shortlisted for PF-10 including Haji Abdur Raziq and Khushdil. Whereas, the two-time speaker of the provincial assembly Hidayat Ullah Chamkani has been awarded ticket for PF-11. The other candidate who is still being considered for this seat is Malick Naushad.
Final decision to the effect of entering into election alliance at the Peshawar district level with other political parties and fielding candidates on the national and provincial assembly seats in Peshawar district would be made during the next two three days, said Mian Iftikhar.