ANP’s Himayatullah Mayar to face JUI-F, PML-N candidates

MARDAN: Political and religio-political parties have started preparations for the by-election on the National Assembly seat, NA-9, which fell vacant after the resignation of former federal minister Khwaja Muhammad Khan Hoti recently.
Khwaja Hoti was elected on the Awami National Party (ANP) ticket but he later developed differences with the party leadership and recently joined the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) and resigned as MNA.
The Election Commission has announced to hold the by-election on February 20. The ruling ANP has fielded former Mardan district nazim Himayatullah Mayar. Accompanied by supporters in a procession, he submitted his nomination papers. The Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has announced to support the ANP candidate under the terms of their electoral alliance.
The Jamaat-e-Islami has decided against participation in the by-election. The JUI-F has fielded Maulana Shujaul Mulk, who had won the seat in 2002 but lost it in the 2008 polls. Shujaul Mulk has submitted his nomination papers. Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan candidate Qari Zulqarnain and three independent candidates, Yasir Bacha, Muhammad Sarfaraz and Muhammad Sajjad, have also submitted their nomination papers.
The PML-N has announced to field Nawabzada Arsala Khan, cousin of Khwaja Muhammad Hoti, as its candidate. The JI may support the PML-N candidate. Sources said the PTI would not participate in the by-election. However, Khwaja Hoti could support his cousin Nawbzada Arsala Khan to defeat the ANP candidate.
Himayatullah Mayar won’t get a walkover in the by-election despite support of two major parties, ANP and PPP. Some political activists said a majority of the PPP workers were angry with their leadership for making alliance with ANP and for not solving their problems and would oppose the ANP candidate. Mayar would also have to appease some ANP activists who were unhappy at being ignored when he was the district nazim. Maulana Shujaul Mulk belongs to PK-25 constituency and Union Council Suwaryan, where his younger brother served as nazim.