PESHAWAR, Oct 11: The like-minded candidates of Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal emerged as a strong political power in the Federally Administered Tribal Area (Fata) as eight of its candidates have won election out of the 12 seats on the tribal belt.

The turnout in Fata remained less than 30 per cent due to the tribal elders’ decision in many constituencies to bar female voters from casting their vote.

The candidates initially used the mainstream parties’ flags and even the EC allotted them symbols according to their party affiliations. But later, the government did not extend the Political Parties Order to tribal areas and barred the candidates from using party names. By that time, however, most of the MMA candidates had been allotted ‘book’ as their polling symbol.

Sources in Landi Kotal said that for the NA-45 Khyber Agency, the candidate of Ahle Sunnat Wal Jammat, Allama Noorul Haq Qadari won the election by defeating the ANP candidate with a big margin. Noorul Haq Qadari got 9,181 votes against his rival candidate, who secured 4,321 votes.

Despite belonging to spiritual and extremely religious family of Landi Kotal, Noorul Haq Qadari had no affiliation with the MMA, the sources said, adding that his chances of joining the MMA in the assembly were remote.

They informed that he was offered to contest on the MMA seat during the seat adjustment, but he refused the offer.

On NA-46 Khyber Agency, the MMA candidate Maulana Khalilur Rehman defeated ANP candidate Mohammad Saeed Afridi. The sources said that the winning candidate was JUI-F chief in the Khyber Agency.

They said the candidate had participated for the first time in the election and the articulate MNA would play a positive role in the national assembly.

From Orakzai Agency NA-39, an independent candidate Dr Ghazi Gulab Jamal, has won the national assembly seat by defeating the MMA candidate Mian Hussain Jalali. The winning candidate grabbed 11,160 votes against the runner-up, who collected 8,006 votes.

On the two NA seats of Bajaur tribal agency, the MMA candidates clinched victories against their rivals. From NA-43, Bajaur Agency, Maulvi Mohammad Sadiq of MMA secured 13,060 votes against the independent candidate, Engineer Shaukat Ullah Khan, who bagged 6,875 votes.

From NA-44 Bajaur Agency IX, the MMA candidate, Haroon-ur-Rashid, grabbed 13,495 votes and trounced the National Alliance candidate, Shahabud Din Khan, who bagged 8,577 votes.

Sources in Khar told Dawn that only one woman cast her vote from the Bajaur tribal agency due to the unanimous decision of the candidates of keeping the women away from the voting process.

From NA-37 Kurram Agency, an independent candidate Dr Syed Javaid Hussain secured 21,027 votes and defeated independent candidate, Sayed Mohammad Jawad Agha, who collected 8,173 votes.

Sources from Parachinar said the winning candidate, despite contesting the election as an independent, would support the MMA in the national assembly as he had also got the votes of Tehrik-i-Jafaria Pakistan, which was part of the religio-political parties block.

Dr Javed Hussain is a young, foreign qualified medical graduate who took part in the election for the first time and defeated the former senator.

From NA-38 Kurram Agency, Malik Munir Khan Orakzai, an independent candidate, has won the election as he bagged 7,210 votes against Gul Manan’s 3,427.

Sources in Wana told Dawn that the MMA candidate Maulana Mirajud Din, aged 26, had upset the election by defeating the strong independent candidate, Lt-Gen Alam Jan Mehsud, with a big margin from NA-42 South Waziristan Agency.

They said that the Mehsud tribe were not extremely religious-minded, but the winning young candidate was very eloquent and had made fiery, anti-US speeches.

“He belonged to a poor family. Even his supporters sought donation for his election campaign,” the sources added.

He added that from NA-41, South Waziristan Agency, another MMA candidate, Maulana Abdul Malik, was elected as he secured 7,993 votes against his closest rival, Maulana Saleh Shah’s 6,890.

Sources in Miranshah said that the MMA candidate and leader of JUI-F, Pir Nek Zaman Haqqani had won the election against the former MNA and former federal minister Malik Ajmal Khan. The winning candidate grabbed 14,662 votes against the runner-up, who collected 5,391 votes.

From NA-36, Mohmand Agency, the MMA candidate Maulana Ghulam Mohammad Sadiq has emerged victor against an independent candidate, Azmat Khan.