 Reasons for PTI's defeat in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local body elections
The results of the local body elections in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa have certainly created a state of turmoil in the ranks of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf.
A party that formed a coalition government in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa with coalition parties in 2013 due to the revolutionary, reformist and welfare thinking and ideology of its party chief Imran Khan. With the victory of nine Nazims in the elections, it emerged as the largest and the fifth largest party along with Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam. For the second time, it managed to form a government in the province with an overwhelming majority. For this, holding elections under its own local government law proved to be a nightmare in which PTI won 12 tehsils and secured the second position. Those who have been campaigning against the PTI government since 2118 have won 21 chairman seats and secured the first position.
While the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) government launched several projects in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa under its welfare program, including Health Justice Card and Bus Rapid Transport project in Peshawar, improved police performance and integrated the former tribal area and the provincial assembly. The seats ensured elections for local governments, but ineffective governance at the administrative level, with the exception of Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and a few ministers, the party leadership's indifference to workers and lack of effective public relations led to a decline in party popularity and local When the party's disappointing performance in the government elections was investigated, the motives that emerged in it revealed that among other reasons, inflation has played a major role in the party's defeat.
The time for holding elections has also taken a toll on the PTI as the elections have been held at a time when the economy is faltering on the back of rising inflation. The winning players also abstained from voting for the same reasons and the election turnout was very low.
The report also details the performance and failure of PTI in the local government elections in 17 districts at the district level.
Peshawar District
The PTI has won only one of the seven seats. The ticket for Nazim Peshawar was given at the request of Governor Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Shah Farman, Timur Jhagra, Kamran Bangash and Fazal Elahi. Is. We lost the seat of Badhaber Tehsil due to a tussle between MP Nasir Musazai and the Governor. We lost the seat of Mathura Tehsil due to the support of the opposition candidate from MP Noor Alam and Arbab Waseem.
District Charsadda
Charsadda ticket was given to an unknown and weak candidate at the request of MPA Fazal Mohammad Khan who had no support from the members of the Provincial Assembly and the Provincial Minister Fazal Shakoor strongly opposed this candidate.
Khyber District
Federal Minister Noorul Haq Qadri and Iqbal Afridi gave the ticket to a weak candidate and MPA Shafiq refused to support that candidate which resulted in defeat.
Mohmand District
At the request of local sources and National Assembly member Sajid Khan, tickets were issued to the candidates where PTI could win only one seat as the remaining candidates were unknown in their constituencies.
Mardan District
Atif Khan-backed candidates were given tickets which proved to be weak and party workers and parliamentarians were not consulted in this regard.
Swabi District
PTI managed to win only one seat in 4 tehsils. Tickets were given at the request of Speaker Asad Qaiser, Provincial Minister Shahram Turki and candidates lost their seats.
Kohat District
The ticket for the mayoral seat was withdrawn from the candidate who contested the election as an independent and lost the seat by a very small margin to JUI. The decision to withdraw the ticket was withdrawn at the request of Saifullah Niazi, Shehryar Afridi and the PTI National Assembly member also opposed the member and lost. Giving tickets to a weaker candidate and internal disturbances led to defeat and PTI managed to win only one seat, otherwise the entire district could have belonged to PTI.
Karak District
Tickets were given at the request of MNA Shahid Khattak, PTI won in two tehsils while re-polling will be held on one seat.
Hangu District
Tickets were given to weaker candidates at the behest of local assembly members, which led to PTI's failure in the district.
District Bannu
This district is the native area of ​​Akram Durrani of JUI where the position of JUI is very strong. Despite this, the PTI managed to show the stars the day to JUI in Bannu City and win the seats of two tehsil chairmen. Elections have been postponed in one tehsil due to complaints of rigging and quarrels. Provincial Minister Shah Mohammad did not support party candidates in these areas.
Lakki Marwat District
Independent candidates backed by Hisham Inamullah (Saifullah group) won three seats in the four constituencies. PTI tickets were given in the constituency at the behest of Ali Amin Gandapur who was annoyed with Hisham Inamullah and he openly supported independent candidates otherwise it would have been easy for PTI to win all the seats in Lakki Marwat.
Dera Ismail Khan Division
Tickets were given at the request of Ali Amin Gandapur. The mayoral election has been postponed due to the assassination of a candidate. In the remaining five tehsils, the PTI won only one seat, while in two tehsils Azad, and in the other two, one Jamaat-e-Islami and one PPP.
Tank District
Two candidates backed by Ali Amin Gandapur were given tickets and PTI lost in both the tehsils.
Malakand Division
Buner District
Tickets were given to the candidates backed by Chief Minister Mehmood Khan and the PTI won across the district
Bajaur District
In both cases, the PTI members of the National Assembly did not support the party's candidates and defeat was our destiny. Instead of supporting the party's candidate, MNA Gul Zafar supported the independent candidate. Member National Assembly Gul Dad and his brother who is also a member of the party also withdrew from the PTI candidates. Provincial Minister Anwar Zeb gave full support to the party candidates in spite of these unfavorable circumstances. His efforts should be appreciated.
Haripur District
In Haripur, the PML-N candidates were defeated. The Ayub brothers issued tickets to the candidates but failed to win.
Depending on the popularity of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf
Although in the local body elections, the party became the second largest party after Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam in the light of district and tehsil chairman results, but in these elections, despite all the opposing winds, the PTI got 8,48,122 votes. The JUI-F managed to get more votes while the JUI-F got eight hundred and thirty five thousand three hundred and eighty four, Awami National Party five hundred and twenty three thousand ninety six, PML-N two hundred and seventy one thousand one hundred and sixty five And Jamaat-e-Islami got 213,310 votes in this context. After its formation, the party's position in the province is likely to be re-established
The future of the PTI investigation report
According to analysts, the possibility of disciplinary action against the members of the National Assembly mentioned in the report is low because the party's numerical status in the National Assembly is not capable of taking action against these members of the Assembly. Exposed so as not to spread frustration among the workers.
However, since the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa government has a majority in the assembly, Prime Minister Imran Khan can direct Chief Minister Mehmood Khan to take action. Because earlier the ministers have been removed from the ministries. Besides, in the context of PTI's defeat in the local body elections, the members of the National and Provincial Assemblies who had joined it after seeing the popularity of PTI in the next general elections. Earlier, the governor of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, a senior leader of PTI and a close associate of Prime Minister Imran Khan, gave an interview to ARY News after the results of the local body elections. I said that the party must get out of the cells and give back to the workers and give them respect and importance and get rid of those who have established their dominance over PTI except other parties.
WRITTEN BY:: RIASATÂ GONDAL