PESHAWAR, May 10: By and large, political parties have failed to persuade dissidents in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa to support their candidates in various districts of the province despite serious efforts.

It is learnt that nominees of these parties’ top leaders have met dissidents over the last few weeks with requests for withdrawal of their candidatures, but to no avail.

Recently, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz announced to expel its two leaders from Dir, Akhunzada Sikandar Hazrat and Sultan Yousaf Bacha, for being in constant contact with Pakistan People’s Party candidate in a local constituency.

Similarly, Pakistan People’s Party expelled Mohammad Sharif from Peshawar, who is now contesting elections from PK-9 constituency on the Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl ticket.

Mohammad Anwar Safi is an independent candidate from PK-2, Peshawar against former health minister Syed Zahir Ali Shah.

PPP faces rift in Malakand Agency, where Haji Qasim Qasab is contesting elections from a provincial assembly constituency against Engineer Mohammad Humayun Khan, while Haji Jehangir Khan is contesting against Mohammad Ali Shah Bacha from Dargai area.A group of PPP activists in Thana area of Malakand Agency also announced supporting Jamaat-i-Islami candidates, saying they would continue to be part of PPP but would not support PPP candidates in the May 11 elections due to differences.

In addition, another PPP dissident Sartaj Khan of Peshawar has formally announced support for Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) candidates, urging the people to cast vote in favour of JUI-F nominees instead of PPP candidates.

Addressing a public meeting at his house on Thursday night, senior vice president of PPP Sartaj Khan said he along with his supporters decided to support JUI-F candidate for NA-3 seat Haji Ghulam Ali and for PK-9 seat Haji Mohammad Sharif to protest ‘dictatorial’ policies of their party’s central leaders, including Asif Zardari.

It is interesting to note that JUI-F leaders concluded election campaign by addressing their last public meeting at the house of Sartaj Khan under the photo of PPP founding chairman Zulfikar Ali Bhutto and some of them appreciated him for passing the 1973 Constitution and declaring Qadianis non-Muslims.

PPP, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa recently suspended membership of Sartaj Khan, resident of Dauranpur, and Haji Sharif for violating the party’s discipline.

However, Sartaj claimed that he never violated the discipline and challenged the leadership to prove a single action against him before suspending his membership.

He said he was not joining JUI-F but had announced support for JUI-F candidature.

Mr Sartaj said JUI-F candidate on PK-9 Haji Mohammad Sharif was also a PPP leader and that leadership had earlier declared him as the party’s candidate on PK-9 but later, he was denied ticket to the anger of workers.

The PPP workers rejected the decision when the party nominated Iftikhar Jhagra, who quit Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf to the party.

Sartaj intercepted a JUI-F speaker and took the stage from him when he compared PPP with other parties. He said he could not tolerate a single word against his party’s activists, who rendered great sacrifices, including life, and declared that he was supporting JUI-F in the elections to protest the policies of Asif Zardari.

He said everyone could speak against him but not against the slain PPP activists.

Amidst applause, he recalled sacrifices of his leaders and vowed to follow the same policies for which he and his workers had rendered sacrifices for 40 years.

JUI-F candidate Haji Mohammad Sharif said he was first declared PPP nominee for PK-9 constituency and provided development funds but later the decision was changed due to a ‘drawing room conspiracy.’

Candidate of Deeni Mehaz from PK-9 constituency Qari Mohammad Qasim also announced support for Haji Sharif, saying he did not want to divide votes of religious-minded people.

The emotionally charged participants stood on chairs and raised both hands in support of JUI-F candidates when Shamsur Rehman Shamsi asked them for oath.

JUI-F candidate for NA-3 seat Haji Ghulam Ali asked the people to elect his party’s candidate for legislation, saying it was a fight between two ideologies.

He said anti-Islamic forces had begun propaganda against Islam to change the mindset of the coming generations.

Mr Ghulam Ali said JUI-F had not allowed the making of a single law against Islamic injunctions and would continue doing so in parliament.

Criticising the role of the previous governments and rulers, he said they had looted the national exchequer ignoring the people’s problems.

The participants shouted slogans in favour of JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman, terming him the next prime minister.

They said Fazlur Rehman was the only leader, who could establish Islamic government to help the country rid of the current socioeconomic and security crises.