Three political heavyweights at loggerhead on NA 35 Kohat as election fever reach to climax in KP
KOHAT (APP): Election 2024 campaign on Sunday reached to its peak in Kohat district where tough electoral battle is expected among Pakistan Muslim League (N) former senator Abbas Afridi, ex MNA Sharyar Afridi backed by Pakistan Tahrik e Insaf and Saifullah Bangash of JUIF on February 8.
Besides addressing corner meetings and public rallies, the political stalwarts approached to large tribes including Bangash, Afridi, Aurkzai and others to get their support for election 2024.
Shahryar Afridi had won the 2013 and 2018 election from NA 35 Kohat after securing 68,129 votes and 82,248 votes respectively while JUIF Gohar Bangash stood runner up with 32,041 and 47,412 votes respectively.
Political observers said that Seth Saifullah Khan Bangash, who were defeated in the previous elections by a narrow margin, could surprise many on the election day.
Saifullah may achieve an advantage after his party had fielded strong candidates in the three provincial assembly constituencies, which were part of the National Assembly constituency and these candidates were also campaigning for the Saifullah.
PTI district president Aftab Iqbal will face three-time election winner as independent candidate Amjad Afridi on PK-91. He remained part of the Awami National Party and the PTI, and later joined Pakistan Peoples Party.
Amjad Afridi is considered an influential candidate in the constituency as he and his brother, PML-N’s Abbas Afridi, carried out massive development work in Kohat that may benefit them on D-Day.
JUI-F candidate Mohammad Shoaib of Darra Adamkhel, which is now part of KP-90, also has large voter support, especially of religious people and approached large tributes to get support ahead of the polling day.
PTI has fielded Daud Afridi in PK 91 Kohat, who will face party dissident and former MPA, Imtiaz Qureshi, who is contesting election independently.
Iqbal Fana, who won the 2008 election as a nominee of the Muttahida Majlis-i-Amal, can also surprise his rivals on polling day.
He recently quit the Jamaat-i-Islami after a long affiliation to join the JUI-F after being approached by supporters and can surprise many.
Former minister Ziaullah Bangash, who joined the PTI-Parliamentarians, has jumped into the electoral arena of KP-92 where he was being challenged by PTI’s Shafi Jan whose father laid the party’s foundation in Kohat in 1996.
Johar Saifullah Khan Bangash of the JUI-F and Dr Zulfiqar of the PPP, who has a sizable support in the “Mini Larkana” of Bangash belt on the Hangu Road are also in the field and will give tough time to political rivals.
Ikhlaq Ahmed, a voter of NA 35 Kohat said that poor drinking water and sanitation besides unemployment were major problems and any candidate with solid program for its resolution would get an edge over others on February 8.
He said inadequate healthcare and education facilities besides unemployment were also needed to be addressed by the candidates.
Ikhlaq said that the youth of Kohat faced difficulties after visiting abroad for employment due to lack of technical skills and demanded construction of a vocational education training institute in all tehsils of Kohat.
The voters also demanded linking Kohat via Khushal Garh bridge with CPEC route besides promoting industrialization for employment generation of youth.
