A record number of candidates filed their nomination papers for one National Assembly and four provincial assembly seats in Lower Dir.
A total of 110 candidates filed their papers, with 28 contesting for NA-34 and 82 hopeful for four provincial assembly seats, PK-95, PK-96, PK-97 and PK-98.
Candidates running for NA-34 include Jamat-e-Islami (JI) candidate Sahibzada Muhammad Yaqub Khan, former Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) federal minister Malik Azmat Khan, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Azam Khan and Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Farid Khan.
Main contenders for provincial assembly seats include former JI MPA Muzafar Said, former PPP MPA Nawabzada Muhammad Zaib, ANP’s Haji Muhammad Ayub Khan, Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl’s (JUI-F) Qazi Ayaz and PML-N’s Malik Farooq Iqbal.
JI’s deputy chief Sirajul Haq will be contesting against former ANP MPA Haji Hidayatullah for PK-95. Others, including PPP’s Malik Rehmat Ullah and JUI-F’s Abdur Rehman would be competing for the same constituency in addition to a number of independent candidates.
Front runners for PK-96 include former JI MPA Sayed Gul, former PPP MPA Haji Zameen Gul Khan, JUI-F’s Muhammad Shakir Ullah Khan and ANP’s Naeem Jan.
Battle lines for PK-97 in Lower Dir have been drawn between Saltanat Yar, JUI-F deputy chief Maulana Gul Naseeb Khan, former PPP MPA Dr Zakir Ullah Khan, Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) provincial secretary Bakht Baidar Khan and ANP’s Haji Bahadur Khan at loggerheads with each other.
