PESHAWAR - The Nation Assembly Constituency NA-I Peshawar-1 that witnessed historic electoral bouts among the heavyweights in the past, will witness yet another tough contest in 2013 elections as PTI Chief Imran Khan has challenged the four times winner Haji Ghulam Ahmed Bilour.
The electoral scenario in the constituency has changed after Imran Khan’s decision to contest from NA-1 throwing a serious challenge to Bilour, and other candidates of the PPP, PML(N), JI and JUI (F).
The constituency comprises around thirteen Urban Union Councils and Twelve rural union councils of Peshawar metropolis. Traditionally this seat has never been monopolized by a single political entity as it has been won by the PPP, ANP, MMA and PML in the past.
In 1977 the Peshawar seat was won by PML stalwart Yusaf Khattak. However the then opposition parties at that time gathered under the umbrella of PNA and rejected the electoral result of 1977 elections and as such this fiasco ended up with the imposition of martial law by Gen Zia-ul-Haq.
In the party less election, conducted during the tenure of Gen Zia in 1985, the PML stalwart late Younas Elahi Sethi emerged victorious after defeating Zafar Ali Shah. The 1985 Assembly lasted for three years as it was dissolved on May 29, 1988 by Gen Zia dismissing the government of PM Muhammad Khan Junejo.
In the 1988 general elections NA-1 Peshawar-1 seat was won by Aftab
Ahmad Khan Sherpao defeating ANP’s Ghulam Bilour. However Sherpao vacated the seat after he opted for the provincial assembly and become chief minister.
Haji Bilour won the seat in the by-election in 1988 with support of PPP.
In the elections of 1990 surprisingly Haji Bilour defeated Benazir Bhutto from this seat that became a blow for the PPP workers in the area.
In the electoral battle of 1993 Syed Zafar Ali Shah of PPP defeated Haji Bilour. Haji Ghulam Bilour retained the national assembly seat in the 1997 elections by defeating Syed Qamar Abbas of PPP.
The provincial metropolis, Peshawar City is abode of two major linguistic communities Hindko speaking people who are the old inhabitants of ancient walled city and Pathans who choose the city owing to its economic activities resulting from its proximity to bordering Afghanistan.
The votes of Mohmand and Safi Phatan communities have played a decisive role in the political battle in the past and their affiliations can help a contestant to materialize his dreams to become a member of parliament.
The ANP also claimed support of the settlers of Mohmand Agency in the area and presence of two members of Bilour family, Ghazanfar from PK-1, Haroon Bilour from PK-3 in political arena as provincial assembly candidates would produce synergistic effects on the political campaign of Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.
All major political parties are eyeing on the National Constituency NA-1 hd never been given party tickets in the past to contest the polls.
The real battle to occur between the Bilour and Imran Khan in the constituency as the latter has garnered the support of the youth.
Our Staff Reporter adds: Activists of the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf on Friday reacted to the decision of party Parliamentary Board to award ticket to Younas Zaheer of PK-2 and urged the party leaders to give priority to ideological workers.
While speaking at a press conference here at the Press Club on Friday, the PTI Senior Vice President in the respective constituency Waqas Sethi said that giving party ticket to an incompetent persons will harm the party interests.
He said that in PK-2 Younas was an unwise decision, as the decision was quite against the aspirations of party workers and local leaders.
Flanked by the PTI local leader Naqash Ali, he said the ticket holder was not an ideological, dedicated and committed worker.
He said that ticket holder spent most of his time abroad, then how he would serve the people of the constituency.
“The decision of the Parliamentary Board to give ticket to such a person was tantamount to loose the PK-2 seat,” he maintained. He supported another nominee Zahid Nadeem for party ticket, saying he introduced PTI in KP-2. Despite this, he said Zahid was ignored by the party Parliamentary Board.
The PTI workers also alleged that the board had violated the party’s Constitution in awarding tickets to candidates at central level instead at regional level.
They demanded the party central leadership to take notice of the issue and review this unwise decision, otherwise, they will launch a protest demonstration campaign and a sit-in outside PTI Central Chairman Imran Khan’s house in Islamabad.