PTI affiliated candidates emerged to play pivotal role in formation of KP Govt after winning 80 seats in Election 2024
PESHAWAR (APP): The Pakistan Tahrik 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.
Political and legal advisers said that PTI that remained out of election race after withdrawal of its election symbol by the Election Commission of Pakistan following the Supreme Court’s judgment over its controversial intra party election, was in strong position to form its third successive government after 2013 and served the people of the province.
Advocate Syed Noman Bukhari, senior legal and constitutional expert told APP on Saturday that PTI was likely to face legal and constitutional challenges to form the government after losing its symbol despite winning election by its affiliated candidates.
Under the law, he said the independent candidates after winning elections is required to join a political party within specified peroid and form Govt.
In 2018 election, he said that several independent candidates of KP Assembly have joined Balochistan Awami Party and joined the coalition government of PTI.
Noman advocate said that joining of a political party by independent candidates was a legal requirement to obtain perks and privileges besides women reserved seats.
Meanwhile, PTI leader Taimur Salim Jhagra told reporters here that consultation on all issues including legal and constitutional obstacles have been started and all decisions would be taken with consultation by the political leadership.
The sources in PTI said that consultation on names of candidates for Chief Minister has been started and former Federal Minister Ali Amin Gandapur that won election from DI Khan was a potential candidate for the CM slot.
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.
PTI backed candidates have obtained maximum number of seats from Peshawar, Nowshera, Abbottabad, Swat, Charsadda, Swabi, Chitral, Bannu, Mohmand, Khyber and Mardan.
In Peshawar, PTI backed independent candidates won four seats out of five of the National Assembly and six out of 13 Provincial Assembly seats.
According to election results issued by Retuning 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 JUIF was able to comfortably defeated his politcal 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, Mina Khan on PK 83 and Fazal Elahi on PK 84.
Karamat Ullah Chagarmati and Arbab Zarak Khan of Pakistan People Party also won PK 72 and PK 80 respectively.
The candidate of Awami National Party, Arbab Usman won provincial assembly seat on PK 75. Arbab Usman was the elder son of former Agriculture Minister Arbab Ayub Jan (late) who cashed his father’s development projects.
Ejaz Khan of JUI won PK 47 and Arbab Wasim of PTI Parliamentarian was declares winner on PK 73. Jalal Khan of Pakistan Muslim League won PK 79 and Zahir Khan of same party declared victorious in PK 78.
Chairman, Qumi Watan Party, Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao, Provincial President of Awami National Party, Aimal Wali Khan, Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf Parliamentarians Chairman, Pervez Khattak and former Chief Minister Ameer Haider Hoti had lost election in their respective national assembly constituencies.
Independent candidate and former senior minister 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.
Following defeat, Haider Hoti resigned from senior vice president of ANP and decided to serve party as a worker.
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 independent candidate with 115,635 votes retained his native NA 19 Swabi-I defeating JUIF 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.
Indpendent 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.
Professor Dr A.H. Hilali, Chairman Political Science Department, University of Peshawar told APP that participation of large numbers of voters in 2024 election has reflected the people unshakable trust in the electoral process.
Talking to APP, he said 2024 election results has signfied the diverse polity and pluralism in the country that would be well-represented by a unified government of all democratic forces imbibed with national purpose to take the country’s forward on road to progress and development.
He said elections were not a zero-sum competition of winning and losing but an exercise to determine the mandate of the people.
He said political leadership and their workers should rise above self-interests and synergise efforts in governing and serving the people which is perhaps the only way to make democracy functional and purposeful.
Professor Hilali said that young voters have played a significant role in deciding fate of the contesting candidates during 2024 election.
He said that contest of 17,816 independent and party-affiliated candidates for 265 National Assembly, 296 Punjab Assembly, 130 Sindh Assembly, 113 Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP), and 51 Balochistan seats — a total of 85 demonstrated their commitment to serve their countrymen.
Apart from the cowardly terrorist attack on police in Dera Ismail Khan (DI) that martyred four police, he said the polling day was peaceful with no major violent incident reported from anywhere in the country.
Professor Dr Hilali said the decision of voters need to be respected, and the majority party may be given chance to form Govt and implement its party manfestio.
He congratulated the entire nation for sucessfull holding of the election and security forces for providing full proof security to voters that helped smooth and peaceful holding of February 8, 2024 election in Pakistan.
