Religious parties trying to become part of next govt

PESHAWAR: The disunited religious parties in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa failed to get results as per their expectations in the May 11 general elections, though they are still trying to become part of the would-be coalition government in the province.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) emerged as the largest religious party in the province by winning six seats in the National Assembly and acquiring 16 berths in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly. The Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) remained the second major religious forces with three seats in the national and seven in provincial assembly.
The remaining religious forces like Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Sami (JUI-S) and the Ahle-Hadees-dominated Haq Parast Party under the aegis of Muttahida Deeni Mahaz and Jamiat Ulema-e-Pakistan (JUI-P) in independent capacity were also in the field but they failed to grab even a single seat in both the houses.
Both JUI-F and JI could secure victories in their traditionally strong constituencies with the former got more seats in the southern districts like Bannu, Lakki Marwat and Dera Ismail Khan and the latter could sweep the twin districts of Dir and got two seats in Buner.
JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rahman emerged victorious on all the three National Assembly seats, including NA-24 Dera Ismail Khan, NA-25 Tank-cum-Dera Ismail Khan and NA-27 Lakki Marwat.
Former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani won NA-26 Bannu, Qari Mohammad Yousaf grabbed NA-22 Battagram and Maulana Gohar Shah NA-7 Charsadda.The JUI-F candidates who made it to the provincial assembly included former chief minister Akram Durrani and Malik Riaz from Bannu, Maulana Lutfur Rahman, DI Khan, Mehmood Bhittani, Tank, Noor Saleem, Anwar Hayat and Munawar Khan from Lakki Marwat, Fazle Shakoor Khan, Charsadda, Fazle Ghafoor, Buner, Maulana Asmatullah, Kohistan, Shah Hussain, Battagram, Zarin Gul, Kala Dhaka, Maulana Syed Janan from Hangu.
Syed Ali Shah was declared successful in the unofficial results from Swat, however, his position was still not clear. The JI could win only three seats in the National Assembly including Sher Akbar Khan from Buner, Sahibzada Tariqullah Dir Upper and Sahibzada Mohammad Yaqub Dir Lower.
In the provincial assembly, the JI candidates who won the polls included JI’s Deputy Chief and former senior minister Sirajul Haq, former health minister Inayatullah, Malik Bahram Khan, Mohammad Ali, Muzaffar Said and Saeed Gul all from the two districts of Dir, while Habibur Rahman from Buner also won his seat.
Both the parties have started efforts to work out strategy for the next government in the province. Maulana Fazlur Rahman made phone calls to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif and discussed with him possibilities of a coalition government in the province.
JUI-F leader Akram Khan Durrani has also made contacts with the independents and other parties that have secured some berths in the provincial assembly. According to sources the JUI-F is trying to form government in the province with the support of PML-N, independents and other minor parties without the JI.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) chairman Imran Khan and PML-N head Nawaz Sharif also had a telephone conversation with JI following which the party convened a meeting of its provincial executive council today (Monday) to decide possibilities of becoming part of government in the province or sitting on the opposition benches.