PESHAWAR - More than 20 top leaders belonging to different political parties will try their luck from their hometown constituencies in the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa in the scheduled May 11, 2013 general elections.
Most of them will contest from Peshawar, Mardan, Charsadda, Dera Ismail Khan, Bannu, Lakki Marwat, Shangla, Haripur, Abbottabad, Nowshera, Swabi and Dir districts.
Moreover, four amongst them are former chief ministers of the KPK, which include Pir Sabir Shah and Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan of PML-N, Akram Khan Durrani of JUI-F and Ameer Haider Khan Hoti of ANP.
Besides, JUI-F Chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman will contest on three NA constituencies which include his hometown NA-24, Dera Ismail Khan, NA-25, Dera Ismail Khan-cum-Tank and NA-27, Lakki Marwat.
In 2008 elections, the JUI-F chief had also fought on two NA seats, NA-24 Dera Ismail Khan, his home constituency, and NA-26 Bannu. He, however, had lost from the former and won from the latter.
Similarly, JUI-F former chief minister Akram Khan Durrani has also been awarded tickets for NA-26 Bannu and PK-70 Bannu-1, both are his hometown constituencies.
ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan will contest on NA-7 Charsadda seat, his native district, wherefrom he was elected to the National Assembly in the 2008 general elections.
He had lost another NA seat from Swabi in the same election, while ANP’s another heavyweight Ghulam Ahmed Bilour who had been federal minister in PPP’s last government will again try his luck on NA-1, Peshawar, which is his hometown constituency, wherefrom he was elected in 2008 elections.
Apart from ANP’s former KPK chief minister Ameer Haider Khan Hoti to contest from the NA-9, Mardan, and PK-23, Mardan, his hometown seats in the coming elections.
In 2008 polls, Hoti had won from the PK-23, and consequently, he was elected as chief minister and ruled the province for five years. Likewise, PML-N General Secretary Iqbal Zafar Jaghra will fight from the NA-3 and PK-1, Peshawar, his native constituencies, while N-League Senior Vice President Ameer Muqam will contest from his hometown seat NA-31 Shangla.
In addition, he is also in run from three other constituencies NA-30, Swat-I, PK-80, Swat, and PK-82 Swat.
Ameer Muqam had won election from his native Shangla district NA-31 Shangla in 2002 and 2008 general elections respectively.
Similarly, PML-N KPK President Pir Sabir Shah has been fielded from the PK-52 Haripur, his native seat and N-League former KPK chief minister Sardar Mehtab will compete from two native constituencies NA-17-Abbottabad and PK-45-Abbottabad.
QWP Chief Aftab Sherpao, who belongs to Sherpao village in Charsadda, will contest from his hometown constituency NA-8 Charsadda. He had won this seat along with a provincial assembly seat in the 2008 polls.
His elder son Sikandar Hayat Sherpao, who is also provincial chairman of the QWP, will fight for the NA-7 Charsadda-I and PK-21-Charsadda. On the NA-7, he will face ANP President Asfandyar Wali Khan.
PTI’s Central General Secretary Pervez Khattak will contest from his native town NA-5 and PK-13 Nowshera, wherefrom he had also won in the past, while PTI KPK President Asad Qaiser will try his luck form NA-13 and PK-35-Swabi, his native town in coming polls.
PPP’s KPK President Anwar Saifullah Khan will run for PK-74 Lakki Marwat, his hometown constituency, however, he will also fight for NA-26 Bannu.
Moreover, PPP’s former federal minister Arbab Alamgir will challenge his rival aspirants on NA-2 and PK-5, Peshawar, his home district.
Jamaat-e-Islami deputy chief and former senior provincial minister Sirajul Haq has been nominated to contest for PK-95 Lower Dir, his native constituency, while JI’s KPK ameer Prof.
Ibrahim Khan will fight for NA-26, Bannu, which is his native town seat. PML (Likeminded) President Salim Saifullah Khan has been fielded on his home town seat NA-27 Lakki Marwat.  Jamiat-e-Ulmai Islam-Sami (JUI-S) Ameer Maulana Samiul Haq’s elder son Maulana Hamidul Haq will contest from NA-6, Nowshera, his native town, while JI’s former ameer late Qazi Hussain Ahmad’s elder son Asif Luqman Qazi will fight from NA-5 and PK-14 Nowshera, which are his native constituencies.
Former film star and chairperson Tehrik-i-Masawat Musarrat Shaheen is running for NA-25 Dera Ismail Khan, her hometown constituency. She had also tried her luck from the seat but had lost in the past.