‘Monopoly’ ends after three decades; Ind candidate wins PA seat

By Rafiullah Mandokhail

ZHOB: At last the three-decade ‘monopoly’ on the provincial assembly seat ended as contractor-turned-politician won the seat amid neck to neck contest here in Zhob’s PB-2 constituency.

Independent candidate Mutha Khan Kakar stood successful by getting 16003 votes against the independent candidate Dr. Nawaz Kakar, who bagged 9475 votes, while PML- candidate Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail obtained 8317 votes. Mandokhail had been winning the seat for the last three decades.

Like elsewhere in the county polling for the single national assembly seat NA-257 and provincial assembly seat PB-2 held here peacefully as no untoward incident took place in any part of the bordering district. The district administration had made all out arrangements to facilitate both polling staff and voters in 132 polling stations in every nook and corner of the district.

Despite submitting all the required documents, the DRO office failed to issue one-day special cards to journalists allowing them to visit voting process inside the polling stations. However the journalists visited the polling stations premises to meet the voters.  

The polling held amid tight security as hundreds of security personnel including army, Para military force, police and Levies performed their duty to maintain law and order situation in their respective area. No major incident reported in the district; however minor clashes were witnessed in city polling stations. Voting remained continued from 8am till 6pm uninterrupted.

The voters at both in rural and urban polling stations told that casting vote was a national obligation and t they had come to the polling stations to vote for their favorite candidates. Male turnout was up to the expectations and in accordance with the zeal and enthusiasm the voters showed during the election campaign, moreover female voters’ turnout was also considerably higher as compared to the previous general elections. District Returning Officer (Session Judge) Nasir Khan Yousafzai visited polling stations to check the arrangements and polling process there. He showed satisfaction over the facilities at the polling stations.

Mutha Khan Kakar backed by major tribes and some political groups won the seat defeating Dr. Nawaz Kibzai an independent candidate with a margin of 6528 votes. Ex provincial minister and provincial president PML-Q Sheikh Jaffar Khan Mandokhail bagged 8317 votes, MMA candidate Mufti Gulab Khan Kakar 5311 votes, Pk-MAP candidate Ex-senator Raza Muhammad Raza 4254votes, PML-N candidate Ex-speaker Jamal Shah Kakar 1809, ANP candidate Anwer Mandokhail 1504, PTI candidate Samad Mandokhail 664 votes and the newly emerged party Balochistan Awami Party (BAP) candidate Shahbaz Khan Mandokhail got 268 votes. MMA candidate provincial minister Maulana Abdul Wassay won the national assembly NA-257 Zhob seat defeating Pk-MAP candidate Allah Noor.

Disclaimer: Views expressed in this article are those of the writer and The Balochistan Point not necessarily agrees with them.

Published in The Balochistan Point on July 30, 2018