Five former chief ministers of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have accelerated their elections campaigns to secure a seat in the provincial legislature with main focus to reoccupy their past positions as chief executives of the province.
These former CMs are PML-N leaders Sardar Mehtab Khan and Pir Sabir Shah, JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani and Awami National Party leader Amir Haider Khan Hoti. Aftab Ahmed Khan Sherpao who ruled the province twice as chief executive in 1988 and 1993 is contesting for NA seat from his home district Charsadda. His son and PML-N leader Pir Sabir Shah is contesting polls for a provincial seat.
The political observers believe that position of all former CMs to win election were bright keeping in view their past track record of developmental work and strong roots among the people. Sardar Mehtab, Aftab Sherpao and Pir Sabir Shah have never lost elections against the provincial seats.
Whereas Ameer Haider Hoti started his political career from 2008 elections and made a debut in the provincial assembly and rose to the prestigious office of chief executive owing to ANP’s majority in the House. Durrani ruled the province for five years 2002-2007 in MMA government.
Aftab Sherpao is contesting election from PK-20 Charsadda-IV, a seat he has been winning since 1988. Sherpao twice retained his provincial seat in the past when he got opportunity to become Chief Minister of the province while in 2002 and 2008 elections he retained his NA-8 constituency. The QWP chief is also in the field for NA-8 Charsadda-2 constituency where he has been challenged by Taimur Khan of ANP and Jehanzeb Dhaki of PTI.
Against Sherpao, the Pakistan People’s Party had awarded ticket to Wasifullah Khan, JUI-F has nominated Qamar Shah and JI has fielded Abdul Matan from the constituency. In 2008 elections, Sherpao had won from this constituency by a narrow margin of 670 votes as he had secured 30,625 votes against ANP’s Bashir Umarzai (29,951).
Ironically, despite seat adjustment between QWP and JUI-F for NA-7 Charsadda-I against ANP Chief Asfandyar Wali Khan and few provincial assemblies’ seats, both parties have left NA-8 open. The QWP and JUI (F) have joined hands in Charsadda against ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan to give him tough time as both the parties have considerable vote bank in the area.
Similarly, former CM Sardar Mehtab is contesting election from NA-17 Abbottabad-I and PK-45, the constituencies he had never lost from the time he was in politics therefore he enjoys a slight psychological edge over his rival candidates.
In elections 2008, Sardar Mehtab had contested election on a PML-N ticket and defeated independent Dr Azhar Jadoon by obtaining 58,045 votes against his opponent 36668 votes.
Dr Jadoon is again in the field against Mehtab from the platform of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf where the political pundits are expecting a close fight between the two archrivals.
Similarly, JUI-F leader Akram Durrani, who was elected as chief minister of KP after MMA has swept the 2002 general elections in the province, is contesting election from PK-70 and NA-26 Bannu.
The mainstream political parties had fielded strong candidates against Durrani but the real contest will be between Durrani and Prof. Ibrahim, head of Jamaat Islami KP.
Durrani had left this seat for his party chief Fazlur Rehman in the last election and the latter won it with a great margin 91,884 votes against Malik Naseerullah Khan 56,646 votes.
Another former CM Sabir Shah is contesting elections from PK-52 comprising of Darban Qanungo Halka of Haripur, Ghazi Tehsil and Khalabat (Kachi, Beer, Pind Khan Khel, and Kakotri villages) and is considered a potential candidate for 2013 polls. He has been winning his seat since 1988.
In 2008, Shah had defeated Faisal Zaman, now PTI candidate with a close margin of 739 votes as Pir Sabir Shah bagged 22,614 votes against Faisal Zaman (21,975 votes.
Former CM Ameer Haider will try his luck from NA-9 Mardan-1 and PK-23 on ANP ticket and his real electoral battle would be against PML-N leader Muhammad Khan Hoti and JUI-F leader Shujaul Mulk while PPP candidate Shazia Aurganzaib can also surprise many.
Haider Hoti had won PK-23 Mardan in last elections. Khawaja Hoti was posing a serious threat to Haider as far as elections are concerned as he has a significant vote bank in the constituency.
Khawaja Hoti had won NA-9 Mardan on ANP ticket by securing 31,075 votes against PPP candidate Khanzada Khan (24,217) votes. Later, Khawaja Hoti resigned after developing differences with ANP and joined the PML-N.
