8 candidates are vying for the constituency in the by-polls
JAVED KHAN
PESHAWAR
As the residents of NA-31 Peshawar-V constituency will go to polls on Sunday (today) to elect their representative in the by-elections, political observers were of the view that there would be a tough contest between Pakistan Democratic Movement (PDM) joint candidate Gulam Ahmad Bilour and PTI chairman Imran Khan.
Bye-elections for the three National Assembly seats from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa , including NA-31 Peshawar, NA-24 Charsadda and NA-22 Mardan are being held today with much political enthusiasm in the province on October 16 on Sunday (today).
In an effort to challenge the candidates of PDM in each above-mentioned constituency, PTI chairman and former Prime Minister Imran Khan will face Haji Gulam Bilour in Peshawar.
The latter is a joint candidate of PPP, QWP, ANP and JUI-F, alliance contesting elections under the banner of PDM in the province.
NA-31 Peshawar-V constituency comprised of areas including Ander Sher, Qisa-Khwani, Yakatoot, Karimpura, Sikandirpura, Lahori, Asia-Gate, Gunj, Wazir Bagh, Kakshal, Gulbahar, Bhanamani, Wazir Colony, Afghan Colony, Gulaabad and other areas.
As per data shared by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), there are eight candidates in total vying for the NA-31 Peshawar in the by-polls.
Former prime minister and chairman PTI Imran Khan, ANP leader Haji Gulam Ahmad Bilour, Mohammad Aslam of JI, Saeedullah Khan of the Rah-e-Haq Party, Abdul Qadir of the Tehreek-e-Jawanan Pakistan, and two independent candidates Imran Khan and Shahukar Ali also taking in the by-polls.
In the 2018 general election, Shahukat Ali, a candidate of PTI, was elected from this constituency by defeating Gulam Bilour.
In 2018, PTI Shahukat Ali won the seat by bagging 87,895 votes while Gulam Bilour secured 42,476 votes.
The MMA candidate had obtained 11657 votes in the last election from the same constituency; PPP got 7499 votes, PML-N3093 votes.
A total of 265 polling stations have been set with 1082 polling booths across the constituency that has 4, 73,180 registered voters including male 262289 and female 201891.
It is pertinent to mention here that the by-elections in the province will be held in the three constituencies including NA-24 Charsadda, NA-31 Peshawar and NA-22 Mardan.
Due to security reasons, the ECP has suspended polls in NA-45 Kurram.
The seats were vacated after the resignations of PTI MNAs Ali Mohammad Khan, Fazal Khan and Shaukat Ali from the NA.
Imran Khan is contesting the by-elections from all constituencies in the province and facing a tough contest in each constituency as PDM has fielded joint candidates against him.
