General Election 2008.
CHITRAL: like other parts of the country Chitral also affected by the sudden death of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian Chair person Benazir Bhutto as a result election commission of Pakistan also postponed election from Jan 8 to and new date was fixed February 18 hence after announcing news date for election schedule 2008 political parties started their election campaign once again. There is one seat from Chitral in National Assembly (NA-32) while 2 seats for Provincial assembly PF-89 (Chitral-I) and PF-90 (Chitral-II). Number of registered voters in election 2008 is 197022 in which male register voters are 107804 and female registered voters are 89218. While in the previous election of 2002 there were total 170954 registered voters in which PF-89 had 97811 registered voters and PF-90 had 73143 registered voters. While Chitral have spread at an area of 14850 square kilometers.
There are 4 candidates for NA-32 (National Assembly) from Chitral participating in election 2008 while one Maulana M. Jehangir withdrawn his nomination paper from this constituency. Shahzada Ghulam Muhayuddin a candidate on the ticket of Pakistan peoples party parliamentarian (PPPP), Shazada Muhayuddin of Pakistan Muslim League Q group (PML Q), Sardar Muhammad Khan AC retired independent candidate and Nadir Khaja independent candidate
There is a great vote bank of Pakistan peoples party but unfortunately they lost their confirmed seat due to wrong decision during issuing of party ticket. District president as well as central leadership issued ticket to Ghulam Muhayuddin which is known as imported candidate by the party workers. And that is why a large number of party workers separated from the party or they supporting Sardar Muhammad who was also a candidate for PPP ticket but was ignored.
The local people and elites of the area are in the opinion that central leadership should to issued party ticket to Wing Commander retired Fardad Ali Shah whose father Jafar Ali Shah was first member from Chitral of Legislative Assembly in the year of 1956, first member of West Pakistan Assembly in 1965, first Member of National Assembly of Pakistan from Chitral in 1970 and member Majlisi Shura in 1985. who raised a voice for construction of Lawari Tunnel in the national assembly of Pakistan. Elites of the area are in the opinion that Lawari rail tunnel should be renamed with Jaffar Ali Shah tunnel to appraised his services. As Fardad Ali Shah was also desirous candidate for PPP ticket but was ignored as a result PPPP loosing their confirm seat of national assembly from Chitral.
There is very critical situation on this seat. PPPP workers supporting Ghulam Muhayuddin while disagreed group including majorities of Union council Nazimeen, District Naib Nazim and Tehsil Nazim openly supporting Sardar Muhammad Khan. His position is strong at some places but as an independent candidate it is not clear to be elected. Some people were predicting of his succession but after public meeting of PML Q candidate Shahzada Muhayuddin the situation changed. In present scenario there is critical contest between Shahzada Muhayuddin and Sardar Muhammad hence after the death of Benazir Bhutto some people have emotionally supporting PPPP candidate but he is not so popular here in Chitral. Now it is seemed that Shahzada Muhayuddin will be elected as MNA from Chitral.
Some 7 candidates contesting election 2008 for Provincial assembly from PF-89 (Chitral-I). They are Abdul Wali Khan Abid Advocate on the ticket of Pakistan Peoples Party Sherpao group (PPP S), who also resigned from the seat of Nazim Union council Koh. (2). Saleem Khan of PPPP (3) Maulana Abdul Rehman former MPA of MMA and presently contesting on the ticket of JUI-F, 4. Maulana Abdul Lateef an independent candidate, 5. Sardar Muhammad Khan independent candidate, 6. Fazli Rahim Advocate Pakistan Muslim League Nawaz group (PML N) and 7. Shakoor Muhammad of PML Q who is also former UC Nazim.
There is critical contesting between Abdul Wali Khan Advocate and Saleem Khan hence Abdul Wali Khan is expected MPA from this constituency. Because Saleem Khan belongs to Ismaili community while majority of this constituency belongs to Sunny cast and that is why some religious people not like him.
There are 4 candidates for provincial seat of PF-90 (Chitral-II) in general election of 2008. Prominent of them are 1. Maulana Muhammad Jihangir Khan former MPA on MMA Ticket and, 2. Shahzada Nisar Jilani of PPPP, 3. Mulla Rahim Baig independent candidate and 4. Ghulam Muhammad of PML Q group.
The actual competition between Maulana Jehangir of JUI F and Shahzada Nisar Jilani of PPP while Nisar Jilani is expecting to be elected MPA from that constituency.
According an over viewing on election 2002 there were 4 candidates for only one national seat of NA-32. They were 1. Maulana Abdul Akbar Chitral who contested election on the ticket of Muttahidda Majlis-e-Amal Pakistan (MMA). Some 36130 votes were polled in his favor and declared a successful candidate for National Assembly seat. Secondly there was Shahzada Iftikharddin a candidate of PML Q who gained 23907 votes, third candidate was Sardar Ali S.Aman of Pakistan Peoples Party Parliamentarian group some 20862 caste in his favor while 4. Abul Latif of Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaf got only 516 votes.
In this election valid votes were 81415, rejected votes were 2572, total votes were 83987 total registered voters were 170954 and (ratio/turn out) % of votes polled to registered voters was 49.13
In the previous election of 2002 there were 6 candidates for provincial assembly seat of PF-89 (Chitral-I). They were 1. Maulana Abdul Rehman of MMA some 21325 votes polled in his favor and declared successful candidate for Provincial assembly. 2. Sherin Khan of PML Q with 11863 votes, 3 Mirdullah Jan of PPPP with 6291 votes, 4. Fazli Rahim Advocate of PML N with 3382 votes, 5. Muhammad Ajmal Khan Advocate of PPP Sherpao group with 1342 votes and 6 Hussain Ahmad of PPP Shaheed Bhutto group who gain only 170 votes.
Valid votes in the election of 2002 were 44373, rejected votes were 1313, total votes 45686 while registered voters were 97811 in this constituency and % of votes polled to registered voters was 46.71.
The situation was the same in provincial seat of PF-90. There were 6 candidates for Provincial seat of PF-90 out of them were Maulana Jehangir Khan of MMA who succeeded to get 11229 votes and elected as successful candidate for provincial assembly while secondly there was Shahzada Nisar Ahmad Jilani of PPPP with 10924 votes, 3. Saeed Ahmad Khan of PML Q with 7039 votes, 4. Syed Burkhan Shah of PPP Shaheed Bhutto group with 3415 votes, 5. Mumtaz Zareen of PML N with 2279 votes who was later on martyred at the top on Lawari pass while he was crossing snow bound lawari by feet and 6. Zahir Uddin of PPPB Sherpao group with 1885 votes.
Valid votes were 36771, rejected votes were 1322, total votes 38093 registered voters were 73143 % of votes polled to registered voters were 52.08.
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206 polling stations set up in Chitral
Out of 206 polling stations in the district, only 25 have been declared sensitive where special security measures will be taken to avert any untoward incident on the polling day, District Police Officer Sher Akbar Khan said to local journalists.
“There is no most sensitive polling station in the district and relative calm and tranquility exists in the area which will be maintained at any cost and a comprehensive strategy has been finalized for the purpose,” he added. Mr Khan said that police would also help convey election results from the remote polling stations to the respective returning officers through wireless system.
According to the information gathered from the office of election commission in Chitral, 636 polling booths would be set up for 197,022 registered voters of the district. More than 2,100 government officials have been assigned duty to conduct the polling process. The sources in the election office said that the polling staff had already been imparted training. Election materials have been received here which are being supplied to the polling stations, the sources added. Hence as a whole there is no danger of suicide bomber or creating any law and order situation.
It is worth to mention here that due to sever cool weather and blockage of different roads turn out will be remain very poor in election 2008 in case of snow fall or downpour very less votes would be polled.
G.H. Farooqi PO Box No. 50 GPO Chitral Pakistan telephone No. 0943-302295, 0943-414418, 03025989602, 03469002167