Who will be next KP chief minister?

PESHAWAR: Almost all political parties and their provincial chiefs have started lobbying to get the position of the chief minister if their respective political entities emerged victorious in the 2018 general election.

Even though no political party has announced candidate for the job of the chief minister, there are certain personalities in every political party who wish to get the coveted post. Except Jamaat-e-Islami (JI), the provincial chief of every political party is the main contender of the office of chief executive of the province.

Certain political families are also presenting their scions as future chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. According to sources, the Awami National Party has two main contenders for the job. They are Aimal Wali Khan, who is the son of ANP head Asfandyar Wali Khan, and former chief minister and provincial president of ANP Ameer Haider Hoti.

Aimal Wali is provincial deputy general secretary of the party and is likely to contest the next election from PK-18 Charsadda. "Aimal Wali will be a strong candidate of the party for the slot of the chief minister if he gets elected in the next polls," a reliable source told this scribe.

Like previous elections, Haider Hoti would stand for National Assembly and provincial assembly seats from his native Mardan. He would prefer to retain the National Assembly seat if he wins both seats like in the 2013 polls and in case his cousin Aimal Wali is elected as Member Provincial Assembly.

Two groups have surfaced within the ruling Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf for the office of chief minister if the PTI secured enough seats in the 2018 general election. One group is headed by Chief Minister Pervez Khattak while the other is apparently being led by provincial Minister for Education Mohammad Atif Khan hailing from Mardan.

Sources in the PTI believed that compared to Pervez Khattak, Atif Khan was very close to Imran Khan and his performance as provincial minister won him the support of party workers and its leadership.

"The majority of PTI MPAs and activists were opposed to Pervez Khattak becoming the chief minister when it formed the government in 2013," sources told The News. The sources added some PTI lawmakers and leaders from Malakand and Hazara divisions were also lobbying for the office of the chief minister.

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz provincial president Amir Muqam is also trying hard to become the chief minister of the province. He has managed to some extent to reorganise the party, mobilise its workers and hold big gatherings across the province where many influential figures and politicians joined the PML-N.

However, former chief minister and ex-governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Sardar Mahtab Ahmad Khan would be a potential candidate for the office of the chief minister if the PML-N emerged as a leading political party in the province in the next general election.

Like previous elections, the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl would once again field Maulana Lutfur Rehman, the younger brother of Maulana Fazlur Rehman and opposition leader in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, as its candidate for the chief minister's job in case the party secured maximum number of seats in the provincial assembly.

Former chief minister and federal Minister for Housing Akram Khan Durrani would be the second choice of the party if Maulana Lutfur Rehman fails to make it to the provincial assembly in the next polls.

The new leadership of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) and provincial office-bearers are also ambitious to take a solo flight while contesting the next general election. The PPP is also eyeing to lead the government in case the party makes any post-polls alliance in the province.

PPP provincial president and former finance minister Humayun Khan would be the main contender for the position of the next chief minister, followed by Anwar Saifullah Khan in case the party emerged as a leading political party in 2018 general election.

Qaumi Watan Party, a major ally of the PTI in the present government, would have no choice other than its provincial chairman Sikandar Sherpao for the job of chief minister. Sikandar Sherpao, who is senior minister in the incumbent government, consecutively got elected as MPA in last three general elections from his native Charsadda district. He has also served as parliamentary party leader for two terms.

The JI has not disclosed its choice for the slot of the future chief minister, but it is believed that party head Senator Sirajul Haq would contest for National Assembly seat from Lower Dir and its provincial head Mushtaq Ahmad Khan would run for a provincial assembly seat from his native Swabi. Mushtaq Ahmad could be a strong contender within the JI if the party fared well in the next polls and won maximum number of seats to form the government.