PTI, independents lead in historic Pakistan's tribal regions’ poll

Tariq Butt

Independent candidates left every political party behind in winning the seats of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) Assembly from the erstwhile Federally Administered Tribal Areas (Fata) in the elections held on Saturday.

Six independents were successful while five Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) nominees returned. The Jamiate Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) clinched three seats while the Jamaat-e-Islami and Awami National Party (ANP) got one seat each. Election was held for a total of sixteen seats.

Special Adviser to PM for Information and Broadcasting Firdous Ashiq Awan on Sunday has congratulated the nation on holding peaceful and successful elections in ex-Fata.

In a series of tweets, Awan termed the polls as important progress towards the stability of “Naya Pakistan.” “The people of tribal areas are getting reward of their patience in the form of constitutional and democratic rights,” she added.

The special assistant said that the tribal locals have rejected the “so-called guarantors” of their rights. Those spitting venom against Prime Minister Imran Khan didn’t bother to say a single word in support of this latest development, she went on to say.

According to unofficial and unverified results received from PK-100, Bajaur-I, PTI’s Anwar Zeb Khan was declared successful. He grabbed 13,160 votes, followed by Waheed Gul of Jamaat-e-Islami with 11,694 votes.

PTI’s Ajmal Khan was declared winner from PK-101, Bajaur-II. He bagged 12,204 votes, followed by Jamaat-e-Islami’s Haroon-ur-Rashid who got 10,448.

As per the unofficial and unverified results of PK-102, Bajaur-III, Jamaat-e-Islami’s Siraj-ud-Din was declared successful with 19,088 votes, followed by Hamid-ur-Rehman with 13,436 votes.

From PK-103, Mohmand-I, ANP’s Nisar Ahmed was declared successful with 11,218 votes, followed by PTI’s Rahim Shah with 10,314 votes.

From PK-104, Mohmand-II, independent candidate Abbas-ur-Rehman bagged 11,751 votes, followed by JUI-F’s Muhammed Arif, who got 9,801 votes.

Shafiq Afridi got 19,524 votes to win the PK-105, Khyber-I seat, followed by independent candidate Shairmat Khan with 10,744.

From the same constituency for the National Assembly, the federal minister Noorul Haq Qadri was elected in the 2018 general elections. However, in this election for the provincial assembly, his opponent was elected.

In PK-106, Khyber-II, independent candidate Bilal Afridi was declared successful with 12,800 votes, followed by Amir Muhammed Khan Afridi with 6521 votes.

The JUI-F’s Muhammed Riaz got 12,138 votes, followed by independent candidate Jamil Khan with 11,431 votes PK-108, Kurram-1.

PTI’s Syed Iqbal Mian bagged 39,539 votes from PK-109, Kurram-II. Independent candidate Inayat Hussain is the runner-up with 22,975 votes.

Another independent candidate Syed Ghazi Ghazan Jamal obtained 18,540 votes from PK-110, Orakzai, followed by PTI’s Shoaib Hasan 14,699 votes.

PTI’s Abid-ur-Rehman bagged 20,699 votes in PK-115, ex-Frontier Region. JUI-F’s Muhammed Shoaib got 18,373 votes to be runner-up.

For 60-year-old Abdul Jalil, July 20 is a day of joy and celebration like over five million other residents of Fata.

“I feel that we (tribal people) spent 72 years in the hell and today is the beginning of a new life,” said Jalil, a resident of Yakaghund area in Mohmand tribal district.

“Today is the most important day for the people of tribal districts. There are many reasons for them to celebrate the occasion because they will have representation in the provincial assembly and will get rid of the corrupt administration, and there will be more development,” he told. The scene outside the polling station was full of excitement.