Elections 2024: Family politics continues to dominate KP

• Political parties except JI fielded candidates from families. 
• Parties include PTI, PML-N, JUI-F, PPP, ANP, QWP and PTI-P. 
• Fazl, his sons to contest from different KP districts. 

PESHAWAR: Khyber Pakhtunkhwa continues to be dominated by family politics as just like in the past, major political parties have awarded tickets to their close ones and influential families to participate in the upcoming general elections, The News reported Wednesday. 

All leading political parties in the country, excluding Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), have fielded their candidates from influential families or the scions of the leadership of the respective parties.

The parties include Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), Pakistan People’s Party (PPP), Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf Parliamentarians (PTI-P), Awami National Party (ANP) and Qaumi Watan Party (QWP).

According to the final list shared by the JUI-F with the media, five candidates will contest for the National Assembly as well as the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly from the southern districts of the province.

JUI-F central chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will contest for NA-44 in Dera Ismail Khan. His son Maulana Asad Rehman, also a former federal minister, will contest for NA-43 in Tank. Maulana Asajad Rehman, another son of the JUI-F chief, is a candidate for NA-41 in Lakki Marwat. 

Two younger brothers of the JUI-F chief — Maulana Lutfur Rehman and Maulana Ubaidur Rehman — will contest for provincial assembly seats from DI Khan. 

Former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani was awarded tickets for two KP Assembly constituencies in Bannu district while his son and former deputy speaker of the National Assembly Zahid Akram Durrani will contest for National Assembly in the same district.

Likewise, former provincial minister Liaqat Khattak, brother of PTI-P Chairman Pervez Khattak, and his son, Ahad Khattak, are the JUI-F candidates for PK-87 and PK-88 in the Nowshera district. 

Meanwhile, Khattak will contest for one NA and two provincial assembly constituencies in his hometown of Nowshera. His two sons — Ibrahim Khattak and Ismail Khattak — are the party candidates for PK-85 and PK-86 in Nowshera.

The son-in-law and nephew of the PTI-P chief, Dr Imran Khattak, will contest for NA-33 Nowshera and PK-89 in Nowshera on the party ticket. 

On the other hand, the PTI awarded tickets to its central general secretary Omar Ayub Khan for the National Assembly seat in Haripur while his close relatives Arshad Ayub and Akbar Ayub will vie for PK-47 and PK-46 in Haripur.

Similarly, the provincial president of the PTI and former provincial minister Ali Amin Gandapur will contest for one National Assembly and two provincial assembly constituencies in DI Khan. His brother Faisal Amin Gandapur is a candidate for the provincial assembly seat from the same district.

The former ruling party has also awarded tickets to former speaker of the National Assembly Asad Qaisar for National Assembly and his brother Aqibullah Khan for PK-50 in Swabi. In the same district, former provincial minister Shahram Khan Tarakai will contest on the PTI ticket for NA-20 in Swabi while Faisal Khan Tarakai is the party candidate for PK-52 in Swabi.

In the Charsadda district, the PTI awarded a ticket to former MNA Fazl Mohammad Khan for NA-25 while his nephew Hamza Naseer Khan got the ticket for PK-64 in Charsadda.

The PML-N has awarded tickets to its provincial president Amir Muqam Khan for two National Assembly constituencies and one KP Assembly in Swat and Shangla while his brother Dr Ibad will contest for a provincial assembly seat in Shangla on the PML-N ticket.

Provincial spokesperson for the PML-N Ikhtiyar Wali Khan will contest for one National Assembly NA-33  and PK-88 in Nowshera while his brother Liaqat Wali is the party candidate for PK-85 in the same city.

In the Khyber district, the PML-N has awarded a ticket to former MNA Shah Jee Gul Afridi for National Assembly while his son and nephew Bilawal Afridi and Shafiq Afridi will contest for two provincial assembly constituencies. 

Additionally, PPP has awarded a ticket to former federal minister Arbab Alamgir Khan for NA while his son Arbab Zarak Khan will be the party candidate for PK-80 in Peshawar while Asma Alamgir has been nominated for the reserved women's seat for NA.

Kiramatullah Chagharmati, a former speaker of the KP Assembly, and his nephew Razaullah Khan will also contest on the PPP ticket in Peshawar.

In the Swabi district, the PPP has awarded tickets to Usman Khan Tarakai for the National Assembly and Biland Khan Tarakai for the provincial assembly. There will be a tough contest among the Tarakai family in Swabi as they will face PTI candidates Shahram Tarakzai and Faisal Khan Tarakai.

Similarly, the PPP has awarded tickets to Faisal Karim Kundi for the NA seat and his brother Ahmad Karim Kundi for PK-112 in the DI Khan district. Ihsan Miankhel and Qaisar Miankhel are also the PPP candidates for the provincial assembly in the same district.

The ANP has awarded a ticket to former federal minister and its central leader Ghulam Ahmad Bilour for NA-32 in Peshawar while Samar Haroon Bilour, former MPA and widow of Haroon Bilour, will contest on the ANP ticket against PK-83.

QWP Chairman Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao will contest for National Assembly seat NA-24 in Charsadda while his son Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, a former provincial senior minister, will aspire for KP Assembly seats.