Pervaz Khattak paved way for several PTI lawmakers to obtain its party tickets

Umair Muhammadzai

PESHAWAR: The rising pressure of no-confidence motion or traditional political strategy of Federal Minister Pervaz Khattak paved way for several PTI lawmakers to obtain its party tickets for their close relatives in the second round of local government elections scheduled for March 31 in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP).
After facing an unprecedented defeat in the first phase of local government elections in the province, PM Imran Khan had announced that PTI would focus on right candidate’s selection for the second round of local body polls.
“I would personally monitor tickets awarding process for the second round of local government elections,” he said in a statement. However, PTI leadership again could not manage candidates selection on merit based for the local polls scheduled to be held in the 18 district of province. As it has been observed that most of the tickets for tehsils chairmen slots in district Swat and Dir were given to close relatives of PTI MNAs and MPAs and failed to avoid dynastic politics even in local government polls.
In district Dir, the party issued ticket to Feroz Shah, brother of MNA Mehboob Shah, for tehsil Adenzi, MNA Bashir Khan nephew Jawad Khan secured the party ticket for tehsil Samar-Bagh, Special Assistant to the Chief Minister Shafiullah Khan’s son Kashif Kamal allotted ticket for tehsil Timergarha, and most important Chief Minister’s brother Abdullah Khan issued ticket for Matta Tehsil of Swat. Similarly, PTI issued ticket to Aftab Ali Khan for Khwazakhela tehsil, Mr Aftab is the nephew of MNA Dr Haider Ali. The ticket of Madain tehsil has been given to Mian Shahid Ali, who is the brother of MPA Mian Sharaft Ali.
MPA Fazal-e-Hakeem brother in-law Shahid Ali has been given party ticket for tehsil Babuzai in district Swat, while provincial housing minister Amjad Khan also obtained the ticket for his nephew Kashif Khan for tehsil Barikot. Moreover, PTI awarded ticket for tehsil Charbagh to a close associate of MPA Aziz Ullah Gran.
In district Mansehra PTI lawmakers in the provincial and national assembly tried their level best to adjust their relatives and close friends in ticket distribution for the local government elections. MPA Pir Musavir Shah from Malakand got party ticket for his brother Islam Khan for Dargai Tehsil.
Pir Musavir Shah has been considered one of the close friends of CM-KP Mahmood Khan. Special Assistant to Chief Minister Taj Muhammad Tarand brother, Ataullah Tarand, would contest on party ticket for Battagram tehsil, while Gohar Khan, nephew of MNA Prince Nawaz Khan, in the run for tehsil Alai on PTI ticket. Sources claimed that the Federal Minister for Communications Murad Saeed, Provincial Minister Shakeel Khan and MPA Humayun Khan were among those lawmakers who avoid interference in tickets awarding process and support merit based candidates’ nomination for upcoming local body elections in
the province.
There is an impression among the PTI workers that Federal since the Federal Minister Pervez Khattak has become the provincial president of the party, the politics of electable being promoted in the province.