PESHAWAR – A neck and neck contest is expected today(Saturday) between the ruling Awami National Party (ANP)-Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) backed Muhammad Yar Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid’s (PML-Q) Rashaad Khan for the provincial assembly’s seat Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) 87 (Shangla-1).
PML-Q former member provincial assembly (MPA) late Zahir Shah was elected on this seat after 2008 general elections by defeating the present ANP-PPP joint candidate Muhammad Yar Khan. In 2008, Zahir Shah secured 110,200 votes and won the seat, Rashaad secured 90,015 votes and stood second in elections while the PPP candidate Peer Khana got 7,777 votes and stood third in the competition.
The political analysts said the situations would be different in this by election as PPP supported ANP’s candidate this time while, on other side, PPP’s major workers and Pakistan People’s Party-Sherpao were supporting PML-Q.
Both ANP and PML-Q leaders were claming for their victory in by elections and PML-Q Provincial President Ameer Muqam held some huge rallies and blamed ANP government for using state functionaries to win the by election through any means.
ANP leaders rejected the allegations saying that people were supporting the ANP due to its successful policy against the militancy.
