Former Chief Justice of Peshawar High Court (PHC) Justice Syed Ibne Ali is facing tough time from his cousin former MPA Syed Qalbe Hassan on PF-38 constituency Kohat.
The former Chief Justice is contesting on the PPPP ticket while Syed Qalbe Hassan who has won this constituency in the 2002 elections on the ticket of Awami National Party, was this time trying his luck as independent candidate.
Hailing from Usterzai payan of Kohat District, Justice Syed Ibne Ali and Syed Qalbe Hassan have 8000 plus votes in their area which was certainly going to divide this time. However, Qalbe Hassan claimed he would secure the maximum chunk as the former Chief Justice who remained out of his home-town for maximum period had not strong roots.
Qalbe Hassan throughout his five years term as MPA had never been in good terms with his party and had close and friendly relations with the Chief Minister Akram Khan Durrani. He had obtained maximum funds from the Chief Minister for his constituency, which he believed, could not secure while being in the opposition.
The ANP was in the opposition in the previous assembly but Qalbe Hassan on every occasion went against his party and supported the MMA's government policies. Due to his pro-government attitude, he was expelled from the party during first year of his term and since then he remained an independent member in the previous NWFP Assembly.
"I had won the previous elections on the basis of my own performance and the ANP had no role in it. In my constituency the ANP had no vote bank and I will prove it in the February 2008 general elections. I have done record uplift projects in the neglected and backward PF-38 constituency during last five years", Qalbe Hassan told APP when asked.
The former Chief Justice is new in the election arena, however, he is also widely regarded and respected in his constituency and enjoys a considerable vote bank in the constituency.
Moreover the PPP has also some vote bank in the area as its previous candidate from the constituency Barrister Masood Kausar, a former Speaker NWFP Assembly, had obtained 2002 votes in the 2002 general elections while the PPP (S) candidate Mehmood ul Islam advocate had secured 3254 votes.
Mehmoodul Islam is out of race this time and PPP (S) has put a new face Bilal Ahmed Shinwari. The ANP has fielded Shahbaz Gul Afridi who was trying his best to retain the party seat in 2008 elections. The ANP had won two out of three seats from Kohat district in 2002 elections.
District Nazim Kohat Gohar Saifullah Khan of the PML (Q) who stood runner up with 9688 votes in 2002 elections was ironically not contesting this time and the PML (N) candidate Qasim Shah might benefit from it. Qalbe Hassan had won the PF-38 constituency with 10825 votes. Interestingly the PML (Q) had not fielded any other candidate from the constituency despite being runner in the previous elections.
The religious alliance, which stood third in 2002 elections with 6265 votes, has changed its candidate for 2008 elections and fielded Maulana Fakhrur Rehman instead of Maulana Abdul Hai.
PPP leader Barrister Masood Kausar and ANP had won the PF-38 constituency twice in the past. However this time it seems to be difficult for the ANP to retain the constituency as various potential candidates especially the ex-MPA Qalbe Hassan who claimed to have spent millions of rupees in the constituency during the MMA Government, was confident to make it twice in a row in February 2008. The former Judge has to cash on sympathy votes of the PPP and it is said that PPP workers affiliated with the Sherpao faction might stamp the ballot paper in favour of Ibne Ali.
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