F.P. Report
PESHAWAR: In the recently held General Election-2024, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have rejected big guns, veteran politicians and old faces by supporting new faces regardless of party affiliations.
The former ruling party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, ANP, was wiped out from the province with former federal minister Ghulam Bilor, along with former member of assembly Samar Bilor, were defeated.
ANP Provincial President Aimal Wali also lost his seat from Charsadda along with former interior minister and chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao, former ANP Chief Minister Haider Khan Hoti and ANP central leader and former information minister Mian Iftikhar also failed to win seats.
Sardar Hussain Babak of ANP from Buner, while Aftab Ahmed Sherpao, the big name of Charsadda politics, also lost their seats and failed to attract the general public in their respective constituencies.
Surprisingly, six former Chief Ministers Khyber Pakhtunkhwa also lost their seats in the General Election along with some big names from PTI as well.
The most powerful and veteran Politician and chief of Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, former interior minister and PTI (Parliamentarian) Chairman Pervez Khattak, Mehtab Abbassi, PTI Vice Chairman and former Chief Minister Mahmood Khan from Swat, JUI-F leader Akram Durrani and Central Vice President ANP Amir Haider Hoti were among those lost their seats.
According to ECP results, Aftab Sherpao has been defeated on NA 23 Charsadda-I, Pervez Khattak on NA34 Nowshera-I, Mehtab Abbasi at Abbottabad, Mahmood Khan at Swat, Akram Durrani at Bannu and Amir Haider Hoti on NA 22 Mardan.
Amir Haider Hoti in response to losing the election, also tendered his resignation from Central Vice President of Awami National Party (ANP), accepting the decision of the people of his home town constituency Mardan where he initiated a recorded number of developmental projects in Education, Health, Sports etc. during his tenure as Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
APP): The Pakistan Tehreek e Insaf-backed candidates that so far won 80 seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, have emerged in a strong position to form the third consecutive government of the party in the province after addressing legal obstacles.
Results obtained from Form 47 of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa General Elections so far, results in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa show party position wherein independent candidates’ lead in numbers game.
Out of the total 115 seats in Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, General Elections were held in 113 seats, and the elections were postponed on 2 seats.
Among the 109 seats inconclusive results, 89 seats are in the name of independent candidates, 4 seats are awaiting results with ANP won only 1 seat in the province so far, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam won 7 seats, Muslim League-N won 5 seats, Jamaat-e-Islami and Pakistan People’s Party won 3 and 3 seats, respectively.
However, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians also suffered the worst defeat, winning only 1 seat.
When contacted, PTI leader Shahid Khan Shinwari said APP said meetings with party leadership continued and they have discussed all issues including legal and constitutional obstacles that have been facing by the party in forming the government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
He said they have also discussed likely candidates names for Chief Minister and hopefully after the approval one name would come up from the central leadership of the party to be the next chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
It is worth mentioning here that in the first tenure of PTI (2013-18) Pervez Khattak was elected the Chief Minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa while in second tenure (2018-22) Mahmood Khan served as Chief Minister of the province.
Giving details, Shahid Khan Shinwari said that PTI backed candidates have obtained a maximum number of seats from Peshawar, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Swat, Charsadda, Swabi, Chitral, Bannu, Mohmand, Khyber and Mardan.
He said, only in Peshawar, PTI backed independent candidates won four seats out of five of the National Assembly and six out of 13 Provincial Assembly seats. He said, according to election results issued by Returning Officers, except former MNA Noor Alam Khan of the Jamiat ulema-e-Islam (JUIF) who won NA 28 Peshawar-1, the independent candidates including Aamir Ayub secured victory in NA 29 Peshawar-II, Shandana Gulzar in NA 30 Peshawar-III, Arbab Sher Ali in NA 31 Peshawar IV and Asif Khan on NA 32 Peshawar V.
Ms Shandana, who is the daughter of former Commissioner Peshawar, Gulzar Khan (late) was voted to power after his father’s employment and social services. Independent candidate, Asif Khan has outclassed veteran politician and former Federal Minister for Railways Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour while former MNA Arbab Amir Ayub has also retained his seat.
However, former MNA Noor Alam Khan who resigned from PTI and joined JUI-F was able to comfortably defeat his political rival and former MNA Sajid Nawaz Khan. Independent candidate and former MNA Arbab Sher Ali has retained his seat defeating former Minister for Communications Dr. Arbab Alamgir Khan on NA 31 Peshawar IV.
The independent candidates, who won six among thirteen provincial assembly constituencies include Arbab Wasim on PK 73, Sameeullah Khan on PK 76, Sher Ali Afridi on PK 77, Syed Qasim Ali Shah on PK 81, Meena Khan on PK 83 and Fazal Elahi on PK 84. Karamat Ullah Chagarmati and Arbab Zarak Khan of the Pakistan People Party also won PK 72 and PK 80 respectively.
The candidate of Awami National Party, and a good golfing player Arbab Usman won the Provincial Assembly seat on PK 75. Arbab Usman was the elder son of former Agriculture Minister Arbab Ayub Jan (late) who cashed in his father’s development projects.
Ejaz Khan of JUI won PK 47 and Arbab Wasim of PTI (Parliamentarian) was declared winner on PK 73. Jalal Khan of Pakistan Muslim League won PK 79 and Zahir Khan of the same party declared victorious in PK 78. Independent candidate and former Senior Minister and Sports Minister KP Muhammad Atif Khan has won NA 22 Mardan-II after securing 114,748 votes, defeating former CM KP Ameer Haider Hoti who bagged 66,159 votes while former MNA Anwar Taj regained NA 23 Charsadda-I after defeating Aftab Sherpao who secured only 34,415 votes.
On NA 24 Charsadda-II, Aimal Wali who bagged 67,876 votes was defeated by independent candidate Fazal Muhammad Khan who secured 100,713 votes. Similarly, former speaker National Assembly Asad Qaiser who contested election as an independent candidate with 115,635 votes retained his native NA 19 Swabi-I defeating JUI-F Fazal Haqqani who bagged only 45,567 votes respectively.
Political stalwarts that lost election 2024 including PTI Parliamentarians Chairman Pervez Khattak on NA-23 Nowshera-I, KP PMLN Information Secretary Ikhtair Wali Khan, former Environment Minister Wajid Ali Khan in Swat, JIP Central Ameer Maulana Sirajul Haq.
Independent candidate and former MNA Ali Muhammad Khan declared victorious on NA 23 Mardan after securing 102,175 votes and independent Shandana Gulzar secured victory at NA 30 Peshawar defeating former MNA Nasir Musazai of JUIF. (APP)
