KOHAT: A neck and neck contest is expected between former district nazim Seth Gohar Saifullah Khan Bangash of Muttahida Mjalis-i-Amal and former senator Abbas Afridi of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz on the NA-32 seat.

Mr Afridi has to his credit a project to provide natural gas to many areas although he was not a member of the provincial assembly but because his party was in government at the centre.

On the other hand, Mr Bangash has a plus point that his family has been influential in Kohat for decades as his father, Seth Saifullah Khan, was a philanthropist, which would go a long in boosting the votes for the former nazim.

Additionally, Kohat has been predominantly a religious constituency where JUI-F has stronghold and all the ulema have unanimously announced to support Mr Bangash.

Former MNA Sheharyar Afridi is also contesting from NA-32 on the ticket of PakistanTehreek-i-Insaf, but is facing public criticism because of his long absence from the constituency. He is also being criticised for obtaining court stay orders over inauguration of gas supply and electricity projects launched by Abbas Afridi of PML-N.

Meanwhile, on PK-80, PTI`s Malil( Amjid Afridi, who won the seat twice, is now contesting on MMA ticl(et and is facing district president of PTI, Aftab Alam.

A tough fight is expected on PK81 between former law minister Imtiaz Shahid Qureshi of PTI and Maj retired Shadad Khan of MMA.

NEW POLITICAL ALLIANCE FORMED: All major tribes hailing from the provincial assembly constituency PK-82, Kohat-III, and leaders of different political parties, including PTI and local trade organisations, have formed a new political alliance, Tameer-iKohat Fund, and announced to support independent candidate retired Lt-Gen Syed Iftikhar Hussain Shah on the seat in the July 25 general elections.Gen Iftikhar, a senior PTI leader, was denied ticl(et by the leadership to contest the elections on the provincial assembly seat.

Instead, the ticket was issued to former MPA Ziaullah Bangash.

The decision was announced at a press conference addressed by the members of the coordination council of the new alliance on Tuesday.

The disgruntled workers of PTI, who had been objecting to the ticket distribution by the party`s parliamentary board without accommodating their recommendations, also announced to support Syed Iftikhar on PK-82.

The development might prove disastrous for the PTI ticl(et holder for PK-82, and PTI candidate for NA-32, Sheharyar Afridi, after political workers from the urban areas of Kohat announced that they would not support outsiders on the two seats. The NA-32 contestant of PML-N Abbas Afridi is also under the axe of the deal.

Similarly, it was also decided not to vote for the Khattaks from other areas who had little interest in development of Kohat.

They said Shehryar Afridi had migrated from Darra Adamkhel and his family had been ruling Kohat for quite some time, but no development had been carried out.

Likewise, they said Imtiaz Shahid was also a Khattak, who was least interested in development of Kohat city.