As voters prepare for the upcoming elections, several families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa are set to witness intense competition, with numerous close relatives running for national and provincial assembly seats in the province.
Among those entering the political arena are Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf-Parliamentarians (PTI-P) Chairman Pervez Khattak and his sons. In a family showdown, Khattak’s children, Ibrahim and Ismail, will compete for two provincial assembly seats in Nowshera against their uncle Liaqat Khattak, a former provincial minister and younger brother of the PTI-P chief.
Having previously served as a Member of the National Assembly (MNA) on a PTI ticket in the 2018 general election, Khattak himself is contesting for NA-33, PK-88, and PK-87 on his newly established party ticket. Meanwhile, his son-in-law, former MNA Dr Imran Khattak, is running for NA-34 and PK-89 on February 8.
Liaqat Khattak, the brother of the PTI-P chief, is contesting from PK-87 on a Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F) ticket, engaging in a tit-for-tat rivalry as his son Ahad competes against his uncle Pervez for PK-88.
The electoral landscape also features strong candidates like Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s (PML-N) Ikhtiar Wali Khan, Awami National Party’s (ANP) Jamshed Khan, and PTI-backed Mian Mohammad Umar in the Nowshera constituency.
In Swabi, former PTI MNA Usman Khan Tarakai faces off against his nephew Shahram Tarakai for NA-20, while Shahram’s younger brother Faisal Tarakai, a PTI candidate for a provincial assembly constituency in Swabi, contends with rivals from ANP and PPP.
In Kohat, brothers Amjad Afridi and Abbas Afridi, sons of PPP Senator Shamim Afridi, take different political paths, with Abbas representing PML-N for NA-35 and PK-91, and Amjad running for PK-90 as an independent candidate.
In Mansehra, the ANP has nominated former JUI-F MPA Zarin Gul Khan for PK-41, while Zarin’s younger brother, former PTI MPA Zar Gul Khan, is running for NA-15 on a PPP ticket.
Lastly, in Chitral, brothers Shehzada Iftikharuddin and Shehzada Pervez are on opposing sides, with the former contesting on a PML-N ticket for NA-1 and the latter competing for PK-2 on PTI-P’s ticket.
