The list of candidates, who have applied for Pakistan People's Party's (PPP) ticket to contest the upcoming general elections on six National Assembly and 17 provincial assembly constituencies reveals that the party lacks potential candidates and most probably these aspirants would be replaced after finding strong and suitable contenders to face the popular and wealthy candidates of rival parties particularly the coalition partner, Awami National Party (ANP).
A total of 53 candidates have applied for PPP's ticket to contest on four National Assembly and 17 Provincial Assembly constituencies of districts Peshawar and Charsadda in the upcoming general elections. The intending candidates from the prestigious NA-1 are included PPP's City President, Zulfikar Afghani, former Town Nazim, Haji Shaukat Ali, Fahim Khan, Ghulam Mustafa, Hamidullah Zahid and Saqib Khan. None of the aspirants are potential candidate and are very weak as compared to their rivals, ANP's heavy weight Federal Minister for Railways, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour.
The PPP is likely to field provincial president, Anwar Saifullah Khan or Provincial Minister for Health Syed Zahir Ali Shah. Only two candidates have come forward for ticket from NA-2 , which are Arbab Alamigr Khan and Ejaz Khan Khalil. The party ticket will ultimately go to Arbab Alamgir Khan Khalil, who is in better position to take on the ANP challenge.
For NA-3, Kiramatullah Chagarmatti, Raza Ullah and Suhail Hashim Awan while for NA-4, Misbahud Din, Ghazanfar Ali and Muhammad Javed applied for PPP ticket. The party is likely to award ticket of NA-3 to sitting MNA Noor Alam Khan while on NA-4 it requires a new potential candidate. In last general elections the ticket was given to Azam Khan Afridi, who failed to win against ANP's Arbab Mohammad Zahir Khan.
From provincial assembly, constituency PK-1, Mohammad Akbar Khan Advocate will be a strong candidate as compared to Aziz Khan, Jamil Qamar Advocate and Haji Irshad. Akbar Khan had lost last general elections with a very narrow margin. On PK-2, Provincial Minister for Health, Syed Zahir Ali Shah has once again filed application for party ticket. Other aspirants are included loyal jiyalas like Khwaja Yawar Nasir, Saeed Ahmed Khan and Niazi Adil.
The intending candidates for PPP ticket for provincial assembly PK-3 are Haji Iqbal Mohmand, Suleman Orakzai, Daud Khan, Nematullah Khan and Malik Taj. The party ticket may be awarded to Haji Mohammad Iqbal Mohmand or the newly entrant Suleman Orakzai to face Haroon Bashir Bilour of ANP. Similarly, three candidates have applied for party ticket from PK-4 including former City District Nazim, Azam Khan Afridi, former UC Nazim Kifayatullah Orakzai and councillor Jehanzeb Thekadaar while Malik Jehangir, Pir Fida Khalil and Mali Imtiaz Khalil had applied for PK-5.
For PK-6, Malik Himayatullah, Ashfaq Khalil, Khurshid Alam and Ejaz Khalil, for PK-7, Kiramatullah Chagarmatti, Razaullah and Amanullah Kanezai, for PK-8, Malik Tehmash Khan, Malik Firdaus and Qazi Muhammad Iqbal, for PK-9, Haji Muhammad Sharif, Iftikhar Jhagra and Taj Muhammad Doranpur, for PK-10, Alhaaj Ghazanfar Ali, Bismillah Jan and Noorzada while for PK-11, Muhammad Javed, Shaukat Mohmand and Muhammad Daud Barki have applied for PPP ticket.