ABBOTTABAD: Electioneering is gaining momentum in the 51 union councils of the district, where a tough contest is expected between Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) as both the parties have fielded candidates for district and tehsil council seats. Abbottabad district has two tehsils. Abbottabad tehsil has 35 union councils while Havelian tehsil has 16 union councils.According to the district returning officer, 4,483 candidates are contesting the local government elections in the district that included 239 candidates for district council seats, 253 for town council, 1,903 for general councillor seat, 526 for women seats, 810 for peasant councillor seat, 729 for youth councillor seat and 23 for minority seats. The PML-N has fielded candidates in 51 union councils while PTI has awarded tickets to candidates in 47 union councils. The Tehrik-e-Suba Hazara, Qaumi Watan Party, Jamaat-i-Islami and Pakistan People’s Party have also fielded candidates for the local government elections. The election campaign is picking up steam as the political parties and its candidates vying for district, tehsil and general seats are vigorously canvassing to woo the voters. The only candidate, who has been elected unopposed, is Waqar Nabi of PTI. He is the son of former provincial minister Sardar Ghulam Nabi. The candidates are busy organising corner meetings, door-to-door campaigns and displaying banners and posters.Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan has also fielded his son Shamoon Yar Khan, who was elected MPA in 1996, from his hometown union council Palak against Mubeenur Rehman of PTI in one to one contest. Former federal minister and veteran politician Amanullah Khan Jadoon has also fielded his son Ali Khan Jadoon, who is running for the district council seat from Kakul Union Council against Zahid Khan of PML-N. Other union councils where tough contest is expected include Kehal union council where PTI district president Sardar Sher Bahadur is running as an independent candidate. His rivals are Umair Anwar of PTI, who is the brother-in-law of Minister for information Mushtaq Ahmad Ghani, and Sajid Awan of PML-N. Jamaat-e-Islami and PTI are pitched against each other in Malikpura Union Council where tough contest is expected amongst Fakhar-e-Alam of JI and Sher Yar Mir of PTI. Tahir Javed Abbasi, brother of Deputy Speaker of National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi, is contesting the election from Seer Gharbi union council. He is facing Fazle Hadi of PTI.
