PESHAWAR: The electioneering activities here turned Peshawar city and surrounding localities into a festivity as candidates of all popular political parties and independents have established their election offices across their respective constituencies.
District Peshawar with 5 National Assembly and 13 provincial assembly constituencies has 13,75,597 registered voters comprising 797,152 men and 578,445 women voters.
All political parties and candidates have displayed their flags, panaflexes and posters in all bazaars, streets, squares and roads, which present the look of a festival in the city.
Due to electioneering the sale of Qehwa traditional green tea, cooked black tea and soft drinks has registered an increase by manifolds.
Election offices have been established in all busy bazaars, streets and junctions where anthems and songs in favour of their respective political parties and candidates are being played loudly attracting people of all ages, particularly youth. Some candidates have hired the servic
es of drummers to entertain visitors to their camps.
Prominent candidates in the NA-32 a complete urban constituency of the city include the octogenarian senior politician Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour, who is in the electoral race for the 11th time.
During his 35 year-experience in electoral politics, Haji Ghulam Ahmad Bilour has contested against various veteran politicians including Shaheed Benazir Bhutto, Imran Khan and Aftab Ahmad Khan Sherpao is fully aware of the importance of election offices.
In the General Election-24, the senior politician, beside other candidate is also facing challenge from his old comrades Abidullah Khan Yousafzai and Sher Rehman. Abidullah was president of ANP district Peshawar has remained associated with the nationalist party for long time while Sher Rehman had contested the election for City Mayor Peshawar in 2021.
Other candidates in the contest are PTI-backed independent Asif Khan, Hussain Ahmad Madni of JUI-F, Abdul Waheed Khan of PTI-Parliamentarians, Tariq Mateen (JI), Z
ainullah (Markaz-e-Muslim League MML), Obaidullah (TLP), Javed Nasim (Independent), Mohammad Rizwan Khan (Independent), Zahoor Qadir (Independent) and Akhtar Hameed (Independent).
Similarly, Samad Murrsalin Khan, a founding member of the PTI is also contesting the election as an independent candidate on the symbol of ‘Aeroplane’ and others.
The second constituency NA-31 is also presenting a festive look as busy shopping centres and posh localities are located it. The shopping malls of the University Road and main Saddar Road in Peshawar cantonment are also presenting a festive look due to the hoisting of the flags of various political parties particularly of ANP, PPP, PTI, JUI-F, PML-N and Jamaat-e-Islami (JI).
Major candidates from the constituency include Arbab Mohammad Alamgir Khan Khalil of PPP, Pir Haroon Shah of ANP, PTI-backed independent candidate, Arbab Sher Ali, Mohammad Saeed Jan (JUI-F) and Sobia Shahid of the PML-N.