Falak Sher
MARDAN
The ruling party Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf and opposition parties alliance Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDA) has accelerated their preparation for the by-election which will be held on 25 September. The constituency was formerly known as NA-10 Mardan-II from 1977 to 2018. The name changed to NA-22 Mardan-III after the delimitation in 2018.
In the 1977 election candidate of Pakistan National Alliance (PNA) Maulana Habib Gul succeeded on this seat, in 1985 independent candidate Haji Nadir Shah succeed on this seat, in the 1988 election JUI(DG) candidate Maulana Shaheed Ahmed succeeded, in 1990 independent candidate Mohammad Aslam Khan Khattak won this seat, in 1993 election MDM candidate Maulan Shaheed Ahmed won this seat, in 1997 election Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Shams-ur-Rehman Qasim won this seat, in the 2002 and 2008 election MMA candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim won this seat and in 2013 an 2018 election PTI candidate Ali Mohammad Khan won this seat. However five candidates including former Prime Minister Imran Khan, PDM candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim, JI Abdul Wasigh and independent candidate Mohammad Sarwar are contesting election on this seat. Former federal minister Ali Mohammad Khan of PTI has also submitted nomination papers as covering candidate with former prime minister and Ghulam Rasool of JI has also submitted his nomination paper.
Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) has organized a 22 team for the election campaign of former Prime Minister Imran Khan. According to a notification issued by Secretary General, Asad Umar. Senators Zeeshan Khanzada, Faisal Saleem, provincial minister Mohammad Atif Khan, Shahram Khan Taraki, Shakeel Khan, MNAs Mujahid Khan, Ali Mohammad Khan, Sahibzada Sibghatullah, Syed Mehboob Shah, MPAs Tufail Anjum, Iftikhar Ali Mashwani, Zahir Shah Toru, Abdus Salam Afridi, Malik Shuakat Khan, Ameer Farzand Khan, Sajida Hanif, Shaheen Saifullah, Hamayun Khan, Pir Musavir Shah and former candidate Adil Nawaz are included in the election campaign team.
Opposition party’s alliance PDA has started preparation for the by-election. Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) and Awami National Party (ANP) aren’t included in the PDM alliance, however both parties have started campaign for the PDM candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim. The opposition parties have started joint corner meetings for their candidate in the NA-22. Opposition parties have started motivating their workers to use their votes in favor of the PDM candidate.
However Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf does not seem to be active in this way. However, a tough contest is expected between former Prime Minister Imran Khan and PDM candidate Maulana Mohammad Qasim in the upcoming by-election on NA-22.
