PESHAWAR: Like other parts of the country, local bodies elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are always held in a heated environment. However, this time, the contest is more intra-party than inter-party’, as seventeen districts of KP prepare themselves for holding neighbourhood and village council elections in the first phase commencing on December 19.

The ruling Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf (PTI) was not in favour of holding party-based elections. The local bodies act too, had recommended only tehsil level elections on party-basis. That is why, despite the Peshawar High Court and Supreme Court of Pakistan decisions regarding holding party-based elections, the PTI has only issued tickets to candidates on the tehsil level while its candidates on other seats are contesting without their party election symbol.

For the political parties, the biggest challenge of going into local bodies elections is distribution of tickets. Issuance of tickets to the right candidates has been a problem for almost every political party in all districts contesting elections. But then the severity of the problem for PTI is greater than others. Many party leaders alleged that KP Governor Shah Farman had played a vital role in the allotment of tickets to candidates in Peshawar without consulting with other stakeholders.

In the capital city Peshawar, seventy-six candidates are contesting for the single metropolitan mayor and six tehsil chairman seats. PTI, which has 11 MPA from the Peshawar division has fielded an Abu Dhabi-based businessman Rizwan Bangash for the mayorship of Peshawar. The decision of giving party tickets to Bangash has resulted in the lack of interest among party workers, particularly those who were interested in contesting the local bodies elections.

Another interesting case in Peshawar is that of Ziaullah Afridi. He was a provincial minister in the PTI’s first rule in the province but was humiliated as he was sent to jail by Ehtisab Commission on corruption charges. Afridi then joined the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) with a hope to get party ticket. PPP initially gave a ticket to him but later on changed lthe decision and issued ticket to Arbab Zarak Khan Khalil, who is the son of Arab Alamgir and Asma Alamgir.

In response, Ziaullah Afridi announced contesting elections independently and started a rigorous campaign for his candidacy. Sensing the seriousness of the matter, the party elders successfully convinced Afridi through a jirga to withdraw his candidacy.

Though Arbab Alamgir has a strong vote bank in some areas including University Town, the decision will keep on bothering PPP as Ziaullah Afridi has a good vote bank in the city and despite his withdrawal from the contest, he will not campaign wholeheartedly for Arbab Zarak.

Similarly, PPP leaders Zahir Shah, Robina Khalid and Zulfiqar Afghani have strong support in the city area but they all have differences with Arbab Alamgir and they will not give full support to their party candidate.

Meanwhile, Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan Fazal (JUI-F) gave a party ticket to former Nazim Ghulam Ali’s son Zubair. Though Ghulam Ali has a good vote bank in the city, party workers consider the decision somewhat unpopular.

The only party with no controversial decision is the Awami National Party (ANP). ANP showed poor results in Peshawar in the 2018 general elections but they will cash in on the price hike and grievances of people from their elected PTI members.

ANP’s candidate Sher Rahman has the strong support of the Bilour family as Ghulam Ahmad Bilour and Samar Bilour are fully backing their candidate. Similarly, so far only the ANP supporters have started election campaign.

Similarly, another interesting case is that of Nowshera where PTI MPA Liaquat Khattak had long wanted his son Ahad Khattak to contest for the seat of tehsil chairman. However, elder brother and Federal Minister for Defence Pervez Khattak wanted his sons to enter into the political arena.

Cashing in on the family and party difference, Bilawal Bhutto Zardari addressed a public gathering in Nowshera where Ahad Khattak announced joining PPP. However, his father Liaquat Khattak couldn’t leave PTI because in doing so, he would have to leave his provincial assembly seat.

In the province’s second major city Mardan, 41 candidates are contesting for the district mayorship and ANP candidate Hiamayatullah Mayar has an edge over others. Mayar has twice won the district Nazim seat and was also elected MPA. As such there is no visible difference in the party but some workers are not happy with the selection.

Another candidate Inam Sarab, who wanted to contest for the mayorship was recently expelled from the party for violating the party rules.

ANP is also facing differences over some nominees and as such it had to dissolve the UC Baricham cabinet due to divisions among the party workers.

PTI is suffering wide divisions in Mardan due to infighting among different legislators. Former provincial minister and current MPA Atif Khan, MPAs Tufail Anjum, Zahir Shah Toru and Amer Farzan Khan are backing the party candidate Lakhkar Khan whereas most party workers are not happy with the decision and are secretly supporting Kaleemullah Toru, a relative of former Inspector General of Police KP Fayaz Khan Toru.

Kaleemullah, a graduate of the London School of Economics (LSE) has decided to contest independently as he claims that he has been betrayed. Here it may be mentioned that Kaleemullah’s cousin Haris Khan Toru had secured 8,500 votes while contesting independently in the 2018 general elections.

Political pundits in Mardan beleive that Kaleemullah has secret support of Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Ali Muhammad Khan, MPAs Malak Shaukat and Abdul Salam Afridi and another PTI leader Iftikhar Mashwani.

The religious-political JUI-F too is suffering divisions in Mardan because of the party’s engagements with the Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM). Head of the JUI splinter group Maulana Shujaul Mulk has announced his brother Jalilul Mulk as his candidate for the mayor’s seat. On the other hand, JUI-F has declared Maulana Amanat Shah as their main candidate.

PML N has been announced the name of Syed Inayat Shah Bacha as the candidate for mayor seat against PPP’s Asad Kashmiri and JI’s Mushtaq Seemab are two other strong candidates for the mayorship. The JI candidate is banking on the divisions in PTI ranks while Asad Kashmiri is counting on the support of seasoned politician Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti who has a proven support of over 30,600 voters.

In Bannu, Prime Minister Imran Khan had won the National Assembly seat in 2018 but his candidate Maulana Naseem Ali Shah lost the by-elections against former Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani’s son Zahid Akram Durrani. The loss was mainly because PTI ignored a solid candidate like the former MNA Malak Nasir Khan, who was expecting to get a ticket for by-elections.

An important political figure in Bannu is Malak Nasir’s nephew Malak Adnan Khan. Malak Adnan, who lost the 2018 contest against Akram Khan Durrani by just 28 votes remained a staunch PTI supporter despite the ill-treatment and he wanted to get a party ticket for his candidate Malak Shakeel Khan. But the party allotted the ticket to a die-hard PTI supporter Malak Iqbal Jadoon.

Another ticket allocation decision in Bannu which may create displeasure is the selection of a long-time PTI worker Junaid-ur-Rashed. This decision was made despite strong resentment from PTI MPA Pukhtunyar Khan.

Meanwhile Provincial Minister Malak Shah Muhammad has succeeded in getting a party ticket for his son Mamoon-ur-Rasheed for the tehsil chairman seat in Bakakhel.

Since the internal difference may adversely affect the election campaign, the PTI has constituted a council of party elders, tasked with convincing disgruntled supporters of the party. But it seems the efforts will prove futile because party tickets have already been issued.