ATTOCK, April 29: Although Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) provided an opportunity to the common people in its intra-party elections, it has awarded tickets to influential political stalwarts for all the eight seats in the district, it has been learnt.
The famous proverb “Diamond cuts diamond” may have attracted the PTI as it has fielded heavyweights in all the three national and five provincial assembly constituencies to counter the rival candidates.
Out of the eight candidates, six had participated in the last two general elections but with different political forums.
Though the two other candidates are newcomers, they also come from strong families.
In NA-57 Attock-I, PTI’s ex-state minister Malik Amin Aslam belongs to a very strong political family and is contesting elections for the third time.
Earlier, he had contested and won the same seat on a PML-Q ticket in 2002. However, he lost the seat to PML-N’s Sheikh Aftab Ahmed in 2008 after parting ways with the PML-Q.
This year, he is facing his archrival Aftab Ahmed of the PML-N and ex-district nazim Tahir Sadik of the Major Group.
In NA-58 Attock-II, Malik Suhail is contesting for the second time as he had also taken part in the 2008 election fromthe platform of the PML-N against former chief minister Chaudhry Pervaiz Elahi and lost.
Later, Mr Suhail, who belongs to a landlord family of Kamrial village and owns a countrywide petroleum business, joined the PTI.
Similarly, candidate for NA-59 Attock-III, Sardar Mohammad Ali is in the fray for the third time.
He won the provincial assembly seat of PP-17 Attock-III on the ticket of the PML-Q in 2002.
In 2008, he contested for the same constituency on the ticket of the PML-N but lost to Chaudhry Sher Ali of the PML-Q.
Later, he joined the PTI which awarded him the ticket for the National Assembly seat.
The PTI candidate for PP-15 Attock-I Syed Ejaz Bukhari is also contesting election for the third time.
In 2002, he won the seat under the platform of the MMA but later joined the PML-Q.
Mr Mr Bukhari could not defend his seat in 2008 which was won by Shahan Malik of the PPP.
He also belongs to a wealthy business family and is a brother of Syed Wajid Bukhari, who remained federal minister for environment in the caretaker government before the 2008 elections.
On PP-18 Attock-IV, ex-provincial minister Malik Mohammad Anwar is the PTI aspirant.
He remained associated with the PML-Q for about eight years. Mr Anwar won the same seat on the ticket of the ML-Q in 2002 and was later appointed as provincial minister.
However, he lost the seat to PPP’s Malik Khurram in 2008.
Likewise, PP-19 Attock-V’s ticket was given to Pir Abbas Mohiuddin, who is an influential spiritual-cum-political leader of the area.
He was elected MPA from this constituency on the ticket of the PML-Q in 2002.
PTI candidate for PP-16 Qazi Ahmed Akbar has a strong political background and is the son of former PML-Q tehsil nazim Attock Qazi Khalid Mehmood.
He is also a big landlord of Jatiyal village of Hazro tehsil.
PP-17’s aspirant Akbar Tanoli also belongs to a wealthy family of Hasanabdal tehsil.