Awami National Party (ANP) chief Asfandyar Wali Khan, at this stage, is at number three according to an initial vote count in NA-7 Charsadda as Maulana Gohar Shah of Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), who had defeated Asfandyar in 2002 elections as well with a clear margin of around 30000 votes, is on top while Pakistan Tehrik-i-Insaf (PTI) candidate Fazl Muhammad Khan is currently on number two.

The ANP chief had won this seat easily in 2008. However, there was no JUI-F candidate fielded against him in the last elections. The JUI-F also has a history of defeating political heavy weight Khan Abdul Wali Khan on this seat as Maulana Hassan Jan had won it in 1990 with a huge margin of 14000 votes.

Also an interesting factor is that the ANP had only won this seat when there was no religious party candidate contesting against it. In 1998, Khan Abdul Wali Khan had won with a huge margin against Ihsanulalh of IJI while in 1993 Asfandyar Wali Khan had won with a meagre margin of less than 1000 votes against Major Mukhtar of PPP.

Opinion

Editorial

Islamabad march
Updated 27 Nov, 2024

Islamabad march

WITH emotions running high, chaos closes in. As these words were being written, rumours and speculation were all...
Policing the internet
27 Nov, 2024

Policing the internet

IT is chilling to witness how Pakistan — a nation that embraced the freedoms of modern democracy, and the tech ...
Correcting sports priorities
27 Nov, 2024

Correcting sports priorities

IT has been a lingering battle that has cast a shadow over sports in Pakistan: who are the national sports...
Kurram ceasefire
Updated 26 Nov, 2024

Kurram ceasefire

DESPITE efforts by the KP government to bring about a ceasefire in Kurram tribal district, the bloodletting has...
Hollow victory
26 Nov, 2024

Hollow victory

THE conclusion of COP29 in Baku has left developing nations — struggling with the mounting costs of climate...
Infrastructure schemes
26 Nov, 2024

Infrastructure schemes

THE government’s decision to finance priority PSDP schemes on a three-year rolling basis is a significant step...