Delawar Jan
WARI, Upper Dir:
Sahibzada family has played key role in making Upper Dir one of the strongholds
of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI). Without its support, winning election for JI always seemed
less likely. This party won National Assembly seat from Upper Dir whenever it
participated in elections, except in 1990, because members of Sahibzada family,
locally revered as Babagan, contested the elections.
JI always failed to win
the provincial assembly seat, then PF-73, because the candidates were not one
of the Sahibzadas. The seat was won after 23 years from the undefeated
Amanullah Khan by Sahibzada family’s Sahibzada Tariqullah in 1993.
Nevertheless, for the
first time, Sahibzadas have become a serious challenge for JI instead of
strength. The family that has concentration in Dir town, Kotkay and Sawni has
divided in run up to elections over award of tickets. Sahibzada Tariqullah,
based in Dir town, got ticket of the lone National Assembly seat from Upper
Dir, NA-33. Sahibzada Sanaullah, a former union council nazim of Kotkay, was
denied party ticket from PK-93. In response to it, he joined PPP, political
archrival of JI and his family. From a challenge, the Sahibzada family became a
source of strength for PPP in Upper Dir, enabling it to hope for win in PK-93,
one of the three provincial assembly seats in Upper Dir.
PPP has never been as
strong in this constituency as it is today, people interviewed in Wari and
Sahibabad said. JI or its supporters have won elections five times from this
constituency, then PF-77, since 1988 while PML-N succeeded on it in 1997,
thanks to JI boycott. “I will vote for PML-N this too whether it carries out
development or not. I follow its ideology,” said Asan Zeb, a resident of
Panjkora.
This time the PPP
nominee, Sahibzada Sanaullah, has more chances than JI’s nominee to win
election, people said. “PPP is strengthened with Sanaullah’s joining. People
swore at our village’s mosque that they will support Sanaullah. He will win,”
said Jehan-e-Alam, a resident of Gamdat in Sultankhel Darra. “I have voted so
far for ‘Islam’ but this time I will vote for PPP,” he said and claimed most of
the people in his village had joined PPP from JI.
“Sanaullah is sincere
and not reluctant to serve people,” said Ayanullah, a resident of Sahibabad. Gulab
Zar Khan, running a cold drinks shop in Wari bazaar, said PPP had become very
strong after Sanaullah’s joining and Sultan Yousaf’s support. “Though I am a JI
worker and will vote for JI nominee in PK-93 and NA-33, it’s reality that PPP
position is strong,” he added.
JI’s nominee Malik
Bahram Khan, a popular political figure who remained MPA in 1993, was
disqualified by the returning officer, a new development that took place on
Friday. If Bahram’s disqualification is upheld, the Sahibzada family would be
faced with more serious crisis. Bahram’s covering candidate is Sahibzada
Sibghatullah, a JI dissident in 2008 elections who contested election from
NA-33. If both the Sahibzadas came face
to face, it would be an interesting contest.
Contest in PK-93 has
become a matter of ego for JI and PPP. If election campaign has started
anywhere in the province, it’s in PK-93. Except a few, shopkeepers in Sahibabad
bazaar have hoisted JI and PPP flags to show support for their respective
parties. The unprecedented number of flags catches one’s eyes as one enters
this small town. People now call it “jhanda bazaar.”
“The flags are
demonstration of the battle that we are up to,” Jehan-e-Alam said. “The bazaar
looks decorated due to these flags. The flags are a source of discussion for us,”
said Mujeebullah, who runs a cabin but has not hoisted flag of any party because
he thinks it could offend some friends. “People come here and take videos,”
chipped in another man who squatted nearby. “Two Punjabis were walking through
the bazaar. One asked the other one that is it a bazaar or mazaar,” Mujeeb
said.
Ghulam Dar Khan’s shop
has a PPP flag. He says his decision to join PPP five years back guided him to ‘light’
and now he has a totally changed thinking. “I will vote for PPP because I like
Najmuddin,” he said. However, when asked to name only one big project that
Najmuddin has completed during his five-year tenure, he stressed his mind but
could not recall.
Rashid Gul, a resident
of Osori in Wari, said he would vote for PPP because it gave him pipes and BISP
card.
“I was with ANP and
will vote for its candidate,” said Iftikhar Ali, a vegetable vendor, as he
weighed cucumber.
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