Peshawar: Around 24 leaders, including Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) supremo Nawaz Sharif, will contest elections from National and Provincial Assembly seats in various constituencies of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the upcoming general elections, The News reported on Sunday.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) founder Imran Khan, who was elected to the National Assembly several times in 2013 and 2018, did not submit nomination papers from KP this time.
Additionally, Awami National Party (ANP) Central Chairman Asfandyar Wali Khan will not participate in the elections due to illness.
Nawaz will face PTI candidate and former provincial minister Shahzada Gustasip in NA-15 in Mansehra in the February 8 polls. PML-N provincial president Amir Muqam will contest two NA seats and one provincial assembly seat in Swat and his hometown in Shangla district.
Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam (JUI-F) chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will contest NA-44 in Dera Ismail Khan and will face Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) Faisal Karim Kundi and PTI’s Ali Amin Gandapur in the same constituency.
In 2018, Gandapur won the election from the same constituency, while PPP’s Faisal Karim Kundi was also elected to the National Assembly from the same constituency in the past.
PTI has given tickets to Central Chairman Barrister Gohar Ali for NA-10 in Buner, Central Secretary General Umar Ayub Khan for NA-18 in Haripur, former Speaker National Assembly Asad Qaisar Khan for NA-19 in Swabi and Sher Afzal Marwat for NA -41 in Lakki Marwat.
ANP central senior vice president Ameer Haider Hoti will contest from NA-22 in Mardan, ANP central general secretary Mian Iftikhar Hussain from PK-89 in Nowshera and senior leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour from NA-32 in Peshawar. ANP provincial president Aimal Wali Khan will contest for NA-25 in Charssadda, while party provincial general secretary Sardar Hussain Babak for PK-27 Buner.
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PPP has given tickets to its provincial president Najmuddin Khan for NA-5, Upper Dir, Anwar Saifullah Khan for NA-43, Tank and Faisal Karim Kundi for NA-44, D I Khan.
Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) central amir and former senator Sirajul Haq will contest the National Assembly elections from his hometown Dir, while the party’s provincial representative Prof. Ibrahim, will contest for PK-102 Bannu and former provincial chief minister Inayatullah Khan for PK-13, Upper Dir.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarian (PTI-P) Speaker and former Chief Minister Pervez Khattak will contest from NA-33 and PK-88 from his native Nowshera district, where he was elected to the National Assembly and Provincial Assembly. PTI tickets twice.
Similarly, PTI-P former Chief Minister and Central Vice President Mehmood Khan will contest two National Assembly seats and one Provincial Assembly seat from Swat.
Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) central chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao will contest from NA-24, Charsadda and his son Sikandar Khan Sherpao – elected to the provincial assembly three times but lost to a PTI candidate in the 2018 general polls – will contest for the assembly KP of Charssaddy.
National Democratic Movement (NDM) Central President Mohsin Dawar will contest for NA-40 in North Waziristan. Recently, Dawar’s vehicle and convoy were attacked twice in North Waziristan’s Tapi area during his election campaign.
He was elected to the NA as an independent candidate in the 2018 general elections, but at that time he was part of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) and later formed his own political party — the NDM.