In the districts of Malakand Division, the PPP remains a political force to reckon with, not quite as spent as in other districts of KP.

In the last 10 general elections, the party has won the National Assembly seat (NA-8) from Malakand four times.

Among the locals, the sense is that with the PPP, the money somehow trickles down to people. — a local journo

The PPP has roots here that go a long way.” — a Swat-based observer

To find out about these “roots” the observer alludes to, read the full-length feature.