PESHAWAR: The Awami National Party has named around 34 election candidates for 39 National Assembly constituencies in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and is awarding tickets to 85 people for 99 general seats of the provincial assembly.

“The last date to apply for tickets is June 11 (Monday) and so, if somebody turns up, that is one thing but all applications received have been processed and tickets have been awarded,” said ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain.

A look at the nomination list posted on the official ANP website on Saturday revealed that the party had awarded tickets to old Khudai-Khidmatgaar as well as influential families, where there were old party workers but given a chance to contest for the first time after their long association with party, some new faces from rich and influential families could give tough competition to the rivals.

Asfandyar Wali’s party awards five per cent tickets to women

ANP leader Asfandyar Wali Khan and his son, Aimal Wali Khan, will take part in the elections in NA-24 and PK-58, Charsadda, respectively.

Former ANP minister Arshad Abdullah is out of the electoral race to let Aimal Wali Khan contest from the constituency as he is contesting the general election for the first time.

Mr Asfandyar had lost the 2013 elections to JUI-F’s Maulana Gohar Shah. He is trying his luck against the same contender. PTI’s Fazal Mohammad Khan is also in the running for the seat.

Former chief minister and Asfandyar’s nephew Amir Haider Khan Hoti has been fielded in NA- 21 and PK-53 constituencies.

The ANP has also acted in line with the mandatory five percent seat quota to women to contest the general elections. They have followed the book and allotted five provincial assembly and one National Assembly seats to women in districts like Haripur and Abbottabad with the poor ANP vote bank. Iram Fatima, who is an old ANP worker and had contested the 2013 general elections, is again going to try her luck as she has been named for NA-17 Haripur seat.

Robina Zahid is contesting from PK-36 Abbottabad.

Among other candidates are Rukhsana Bibi from PK-37, Bibi Shehnaz Raja from PK-38 Abbottabad whereas Farazia Shaheen from Pk-40 Haripur and Saira Sayed from PK-41 Haripur.

The rest of ANP nominees are either those loyalists, who are contesting elections for the first time, or those, who had contested the last elections.

Old party worker Abdul Karim Khan will contest elections from NA-3 Swat for the first time. Waris Khan whose father Shahbaz Khan had an old association with ANP is going to contest for the first time from NA-19 Swabi but could face a tough competition from PTI’s Usman Tarakai and MMA candidates Maulana Ashfaq.

On NA-20 Mardan seat, Gul Nawaz Khan is going to contest elections for the first time. Malik Aman Khan contesting elections in NA-22 Mardan has an old association with the ANP but he’s taking part in elections for the first time.

The NA-23 Charsadda constituency may have in store an election deal or an interesting contest as the ANP has fielded its National Youth Organisation leader, Gulzar Khan, against Qaumi Watan Party chairman Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao.

Malik Juma Khan contesting in NA-25 Nowshera is also the first-time contestant.

Jamal Khattak, son of veteran politician Tariq Hameed Khattak, is contesting for the first time against the family’s traditional rival and former chief minister Pervez Khattak on NA-26 Nowshera seat.

The ANP has nominated a trader from an old Khudai Khidmatgar family, Sheikh Jehanzada, to contest elections in NA-41 Bajaur. It is his first election contest. Saida Jan from NA-43 (Jamrud) is also a first-time contestant.

For the provincial assembly seats, the ANP has fielded new yet influential entrants to contest elections. Qajeer Khan from PK-3 Swat and Asimullah Khan from PK-4 Swat, who are new to the party, will contest elections for the first time.

Ayaz Shoaib Khan, son of old ANP guard Shoaib Khan, whom was target-killed, is contesting for the first time from PK-46 Swabi. His rival is Mohammad Ali Tarakai. Shah Rukh Aman from PK-49 Mardan and Haroon Khan from PK-50 Mardan are new entrants to the party, while Ali Khan, who has been given the party ticket for PK-52, belongs to a political family and is a close relative of ANP provincial leader Amir Haider Hoti. He is contesting elections for the first time.

Other candidates including Qasim Ali Khan from PK-59 Charsadda, Shahid Khan Khattak from PK-83 Nowshera, Jawad Khan Khattak from PK-64, Haji Liaquat Khan from PK-66 Peshawar, Malak Naseem Khan from PK-87 Peshawar Fakhruddin Khan from PK-68 Peshawar, Abdul Hafiz Khan from PK-71, Ishfaq Khan Khalil from PK-72 Peshawar, Mohammad Saleem Akhtar Durrani from PK-73 Peshawar, Mohamamd Omar Khan Momand from PK-77 Peshawar, Abdul Samad from PK-90 Bannu and Sherulla Wazir from PK-96 DI Khan have long association with the ANP but they all are going to contest general elections on the party’s ticket for the first time.

Published in Dawn, June 10th, 2018