In quest of better opportunities, almost 80 candidates who ran for office in the 2018 elections on the platforms of different political parties have defected and are running on different platforms for the upcoming general election in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Most of these politicians have found support in the Jamiat Ulema Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), while several former lawmakers have joined the Pervez Khattak-led Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) after leaving the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI).
About six turncoats have been given tickets by the Awami National Party (ANP), five by the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), and at least five by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), who ran for office in the last elections on different platforms.
Candidates for JUI-F
Former MNAs Noor Alam Khan and Nasir Khan Musazai have been enlisted by the JUI-F and have been given tickets for Peshawar’s NA-28 and NA-30, respectively. In the 2018 general election, they were chosen to serve in the National Assembly on PTI tickets. Both ran in the 2013 general election under the PPP and PML-N banners, respectively, with the former winning and the latter losing to Gulzar Khan of the PTI.
The JUI-F has given tickets to the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly to the following candidates: Barrister Arshad Abdullah for PK-64 in Charsadda; Liaqat Khattak for PK-87 Nowshera; Ahad Khattak for PK-88; Mian Zulfiqar for PK-89 in Nowshera; Wali Mohammad Khan in Battagram; Ibrar Hussain Tanoli in Mansehra; Mohammad Umar for PK-83 and Saddiq-ur-Rehman Paracha for PK-82 Peshawar;
In the last Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, Sher Azam Khan, a former provincial minister and PPP-P leader, was the leader of the PPP-P in Mardan. Zafar Ali Khan represented PK-66 Charsadda. Hamidullah Jan represented the National Assembly and provincial assembly in Khyber district. Iqbal Din Fana resided in Kohat. Malik Adnan was in Bannu. Aghaz Gandapur was in Dera Ismael Khan.
Candidates for ANP
For NA-33 in Nowshera, Khan Pervez Khan, who ran as a PPP candidate in the 2018 election but lost to PTI’s Pervez Khattak, has been given the ANP ticket. Former provincial minister Sultan Mohammad Khan has been given a ticket by the Pakhtun nationalist party for PK-64 Charsadda. Khan previously won from the same seat in the 2018 general election on the PTI ticket.
Yasin Khalil, a PTI supporter who was elected to the KP Assembly in 2013, was the party’s nominee for the provincial assembly seat in Peshawar. Arbab Usman, who ran as an independent in the previous general election, will run on the ANP ticket in the next one.
For the next general election, the ANP gave tickets to former PTI MPA Gul Sahib Khan in Bannu and former JUI-F MPA Zarin Gul Khan in Torghar.
PPP contenders
In the polls on February 8, the PPP fielded former PTI MNA Usman Khan Tarakai in Swabi, who will face off against his nephew and former provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai. Dr. Haider Khan, a former PTI MNA who backed the ANP in the 2008 general election, is running for the PPP.
Abidullah Yousafzai has been given a ticket to the National legislature seat in Peshawar, while Ziaullah Afridi, a former PTI MPA and provincial minister, has been given one for the province legislature. Former PTI MPA Zar Gul Khan is running for NA-15 in Mansehra as a candidate for the PPP.
Candidates of PML-N
Former provincial minister Wajid Ali Khan, who defected from the ANP to the PML-N due to the non-allocation of tickets, has been given a ticket by the PML-N for the Swat National Assembly seat.
Shah Jee Gul Afridi, his son Bilawal Afridi, and his nephew Shafiq Afridi have been given tickets by the PML-N to run for the National Assembly, Provincial Assembly seats in the Khyber district, and the National Assembly.
Sher Rehman, a former ANP candidate for mayor of Peshawar in the most recent local body elections, is running on the PML-N ticket for Peshawar’s NA-32.
Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, a former governor who also held the positions of chief minister and PML-N provincial president, is running against the PML-N candidate for Abbottabad’s National Assembly seat.
