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Sunday, October 13, 2024

Elections in tribal areas: PTI leads

Political commentators believe that the election results have made it clear that the PTI continues to be the representative of Pashtuns’ aspirations and political interests. Any other party or movement like the PTM may enjoy a tiny support, but overall these parties have failed to demonstrate their considerable presence in the erstwhile FATA. A new KPK is in making under the leadership of PTI.

News Desk |

In a latest development, Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has emerged as the biggest political party during the first-ever election held in erstwhile FATA. The ruling party in KPK has managed to bag five seats, while defeating Jamiat-Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) which had a huge presence in the tribal areas.

It is worth noting here that in the last general elections PTI won a simple majority in the KPK assembly which was unprecedented. The party also managed to defeat the JUI-F and its ally religious parties including the JI. Since then the JUI-F head has issued several warnings to the PTI government to topple it anytime soon.

Furthermore, the election results have also rubbished the claims of the Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) for being the sole representative organization of Pashtuns. The people of tribal areas have clearly entrusted PTI with the electoral mandate and have chosen it to be their representative party. Analysts believe that the PTM has to face a big blow because of the results which have almost buried its anti-army and anti-Pakistan narrative.

According to the initial results, two major political parties, PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to secure even a single seat.

According to the Form 47 shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan on its website, the PTI was the biggest party with five seats while independent candidates won six seats.

More details suggest that some 2.8 million voters were registered for the elections, with 1,897 polling stations open from 8 am to 5 pm amid heightened security on Saturday. Around 34,000 army and paramilitary troops were deployed in the area.

According to the initial results, two major political parties, PPP and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) failed to secure even a single seat. However, JUI-F managed to grab three seats, while Awami National Party (ANP) and Jamaat-e-Islami only secured one seat each.

Who has Won the Seats?

According to details, PTI candidates Anwar Zeb Khan, Ajmal Khan, Syed Iqbal Mian, Abid Rehman and Muhammad Iqbal Khan have been elected on PK-100 Bajaur-I, PK-101 Bajaur-II, PK-109 Kurram-II, PK-115 Frontier Regions and PK-111, North Waziristan-I, respectively.

Read more: Elections in Tribal Areas: Should Army be deployed on the polling day?

Similarly, five independent candidates, including Abbas Rehman, Shafiq Afridi, Bilawal Afridi, Muhammad Shafique Khan and Syed Ghazi Ghazan Jamal have been elected from PK-104-II, PK-105 Khyber-I, PK 106 Khyber-II, PK-107 Khyber-III and PK-110 Orakzai, respectively. Independent nominee Mir Kalam Khan also stood victorious in North Waziristan’s constituency PK-112.

Nisar Mohmand of ANP has been elected as member Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from PK-103 Mohmand-I whereas Sirajuddin of Jamat-e-Islami from PK-102 Bajaur-III.

Meanwhile, the JUI-F managed to bag Kurram-I (PK-108) and ex-frontier regions (PK-115) seats, with its nominees Muhammad Riaz and Muhammad Shoaib emerging victorious. The South Waziristan-I (PK-113) was clinched by the JUI-F’s Hafiz Issamuddin by a wide margin.

In all, 285 candidates, including two women, contested the 16 general seats of the KP Assembly to represent three constituencies, each of Bajaur (PK-100 to 102) and Khyber (PK-105 to 107) districts; two each of Mohmand (PK-103 and 104), Kurram (PK-108 and 109), North Waziristan (PK-111 and 112) and South Waziristan (PK-113 and 114); and one each of Orakzai (PK-110) district and ex-Frontier regions (PK-115).

Read more: Army can not take over the elections – PPP

Besides PTI nominees, JUI-F, ANP, Pakistan People’s Party- Parliamentarians (PPP-P), Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), PML-N and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP), several independent candidates contested the polls.