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Monday, May 13, 2013
PTI’s victory : KP keeps its tradition of political change alive* Province has witnessed political change in every election since 1993
PESHAWAR: The electorates of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have kept alive their electoral tradition and brought a significant political change in the province by voting the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf in the general elections.
According to unofficial results, PTI has emerged as the single largest political party in the province by grabbing 27 provincial seats so far. The party had swept the general elections in Peshawar, Nowshera, Mardan, Swat, Hangu and Kohat districts besides clinching seats from Hazara region. In Peshawar, the party has grabbed all the four national and provincial assembly constituencies.
PTI Chairman Imran Khan won from NA-1, Engineer Hamidul Haq on NA-2, Sajid Nawaz on NA-3 and Gulzar Khan on NA-4, defeating their rivals with overwhelming majority. The major upset in the general elections was the defeat of former federal minister and ANP stalwart Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour at the hands of Imran Khan on NA-1.
Similarly, former federal minister and PPP candidate for NA-2, Dr Arbab Alamgir Khan was also defeated with a huge margin by PTI candidate Engr Hamidul Haq. Former Peshawar district nazim Haji Ghulam Ali, former MNA Noor Alam Khan and PML-N Central Secretary General Engr Zafar Jhagra also faced defeats at the hands of PTI candidate Sajid Nawaz on NA-4 Peshawar. Meanwhile, the PPP and ANP could not even save their safest provincial assembly constituencies of PK-2 and PK-3 and Syed Zahir Ali Shah and Haroon Bilour were defeated by little-known candidates of PTI.
The Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam of Fazlur Rehman is likely to emerge the second largest parliamentary party in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly, as it resisted the onslaught of PTI’s “tsunami” in its stronghold of southern districts. The Qaumi Watan Party (QWP) of Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao also maintained its presence in Charsadda District from where its central and provincial chairmen had made it to national and provincial assemblies. Similarly, PPP which was the second largest parliamentary party in the last Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Assembly with 24 seats has managed only four seats this time – PK-71 Bannu, PK-89, 90 (Chitral) and PK-98 (Malakand Agency).
The political change in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the wake of clean sweep by PTI in the general elections is not a new development as the province has witnessed such drastic change in governments in every election in the last 20 years, reflecting maturity of voters in the province. A cursory look at the political history of the province revealed that since 1993, voters in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have given mandate to different political parties, rejecting the previous governments because of their unsatisfactory performance.
In 1993, PPP formed the government in the province. However, after three years’ tenure, the voters there rejected the PPP and gave chance to the PML-N, which formed the government under the leadership of Mehtab Abbasi. However, after the military coup of Pervez Musharraf and at a time when United States had attacked Afghanistan, the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voted the Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) into power.
However, the five-year tenure of MMA disappointed the KP voters, and in 2008 elections those who voted for religious parties opted for representatives of secular PPP and nationalist ANP, reflecting a drastic change of voters in selection of leadership. In 2013 elections, the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa voters have upheld their tradition of bringing political change in political scenario of the province and fixed hopes on PTI leadership. They rejected the ANP-led government in the province despite the fact the party rendered matchless sacrifices in the ongoing war against militancy and extremism.
The political observers are of the opinion that continuous change in the thinking of the denizens of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in selection of political leadership reflects their political maturity. This mood of change of voters in the province should also be taken into consideration by the leadership of PTI who, if does not delivers, will also meet the same fate as was met by the likes of Asfandyar Wali Khan, Bilour family, Amir Muqam, Mehtab Abbasi, Pir Sabir Shah, Aftab Sherpao. app
Courtesy www.dailytimes.com.pk