Influential politicians and their family members are dominating upcoming parliamentary elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and contesting elections along with their sons, brothers and in-laws from different districts of the province.
The president of religio-political alliance, Muthahida Majlis-e-Amal (MMA) and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazalur Rehman, who hails from D I Khan, is contesting elections from two National Assembly constituencies while his son is also contesting election on one NA seat while his brother is vying for two provincial assembly constituencies from the same district.
Maulana Fazalur Rehman is contesting from NA-38 and NA-39 constituencies of D I Khan and facing Ali Amin Gandapore of the PTI, Faisal Karim Kundi of the PPP and independent candidate Waqar Ahmad Khan while Asad Mahmood is contesting from NA-37 Tank. His brother former opposition leader in KP Assembly, Maulana Lutfur Rehman is contesting from two provincial assembly constituencies.
Haji Ghulam Ali, another relative of Maulana Fazal is contesting for both National and Provincial Assembly constituencies from the provincial metropolis.
Similarly, a senior PTI leader and former KP Chief Minister Pervez Khattak has also secured a big chunk of parliamentary tickets for his family members. Pervez Khattak himself has secured tickets for one National and two provincial assembly constituencies while his son-in-law Dr Imran Khattak is also contesting for National Assembly.
Besides, general seats, he has also secured two tickets for women reserved seats for his sister-in-law Nafisa Khattak and another relative Sajida Begum.
Pervez Khattak is facing Khan Pervez Khan of PPP, Siraj Ahmad of PML-N, Malik Juma Khan of ANP and Zulfikar Shah Bacha of MMA while his son-in-law Imran Khattak is facing Barrister Feroz Jamal Shah Kakakhel (PPP), Jamal Khattak (ANP), Nawab Khan (PML-N) and Asif Luqman Qazi.
The third political dominating family is Arbab family of Tehkal, Peshawar, whose three family members are contesting the general elections. The former federal minister for communications, Dr Arbab Mohammad Alamgir Khalil is contesting from NA-30 (Peshawar-IV), his wife, Asma Arbab is in run for NA-27 (Peshawar-I) while their son Arbab Zarak Khan is also vying for provincial assembly constituency PK-74.
Senior JUI-F leader and former chief minister Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Akram Khan Durrani is also contesting on both one each National and Provincial Assembly constituencies while his son Zahid Akram Durrani is also beginning his political debut from a provincial assembly constituency of district Bannu.
Akram Khan Durrani, who was chief minister of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa during MMA government from 2002-2007 and Federal Minister for Housing & Works in previous PML-N government is facing chairman PTI, Imran Khan and a neck-and-neck contest is expected in constituency.
Ameer Muqaam, the provincial president of PML-N has emerged another political heavyweight on the landscape of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and contesting elections on two each National and provincial assembly constituencies. He is contesting election from NA-2, Swat-I and NA-29 (Peshawar-III) and provincial assembly constituencies PK-2 and PK-4 of district Swat while his brother Dr Ibaadullah Khan is contesting on National Assembly constituency of the native district Shangla.
Ameer Muqaam, a contractor by profession, was elected to National Assembly on MMA ticket and later defected to the PML-Q was once very closed to then military dictator Pervez Musharraf, who had given him his own pistol and declared him his brother.
Three family members of the first military dictator Ayub Khan are contesting from district Haripur. Omar Ayub, the son of Gohar Ayub Khan is contesting for National Assembly while two cousins are contesting for provincial assembly.
Tarakai of district Swabi had also emerged another political influential family since 2005. Shahram Khan Tarakai, who first elected as district nazim Swabi formed Awami Jamhoori Ittehad and succeeded in winning one National and two provincial assembly seats in the elections of 2008, which was later merged into the PTI. Engineer Usman Tarakai has defeated ANP president, Asfandyar Wali Khan.
The ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan himself is contesting for National Assembly constituency while his son Aimal Wali Khan vying for provincial assembly. Similarly, his other close relative Ameer Haider Khan Hoti is also contesting for both National and provincial assembly constituencies from Mardan.
A former chief minister Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao contesting for National Assembly while his son Sikandar Hayat Khan Sherpao is run for provincial assembly.
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