Chitral elections enter final phase

CHITRAL, 11 Feb 08: Electioneering in Chitral which was subdued due to persistent snowfall and subzero temperatures has come alive with improvement in the weather.

Less than a week left for the big day, candidates have started public meetings and intensified their door to door contacts. The significant feature of the elections is the absence of the Jamaat Islami, a major political party in Chitral which has boycotted the elections thus putting a question mark on the credibility of the present process.

 For the sole National Assembly seat, there are four candidates in the run which include Shahzada Mohiuddin (PML (Q), Shahzada Ghulam Mohiuddin (PPPP), Sardar Muhammad (Independent) and Nadir Khwaja (Independent).

The main contest is likely to be witnessed between the PML (Q) candidate and Independent Sardar Muhammad.

 PPPP Workers including founding members, veterans, Nazims, students bodies etc had overwhelmingly recommended Wg Cdr (r) Fardad Ali Shah as their candidate for the National Assembly, but the party high command for reasons unknown, decided at the eleventh hour to award the ticket to Shahzada Ghulam Muhiuddin, effectively decapitating the party tempo in Chitral.

Old guards of the party talking to this scribe blamed the party's District president for engineering this conspiracy against the party, to cede the National Assembly seat to Shahzada Mohiuddin of the (PML Q), they said. Workers of the PPPP expressing no confidence in the district president, decided to field Sardar Muhammad as an independent candidate.

In PF 89 provincial assembly constituency comprising Chitral sub division, the competition is between Muhammad Salim Khan PPPP. Abdul Wali Khan, PPP (S), Moulana Abdur Rehman (MMA), Shokore Muhammad (PMLQ), Fazle Rahim (PML N).

In PF 90 provincial Assembly constituency comprising Mastuj sub division, the competition is between Shahzada Nisar Jillani (PPPP), Moulana Jahangir (MMA), Ghulam Muhammad (PML(Q). 

 Weather is expected  to be fair on the election day which is a very important consideration for the turnout status of the voters.  (Zahiruddin)