February 2024: General Elections Held in Chitral

Khowari Team

General Elections in Pakistan were held all over Pakisan on 8th of February 2024. Chitral having 1 seat of National Assembly (NA-1) and 2 seats of Provincial Assembly Khyber Pakhtunkhwa: PK-1 and PK-2 was the epicentre of much electoral activities well before the final schedule of the polling was announced.

Internet service and mobile network was blocked across the country on the day of polling causing severe criticism and arising questions on the fairness of the elections. Results of the polling were also delayed till next day. Pakistan Tehreek Insaf (PTI) secured majority of seat over the country despite being denied level playing field before and during the elections. The party’s candidates contested the election as independent candidates after Supreme Court deprived it from its election symbol.

In Chitral, PTI-backed candidate for the National Assembly (NA-1), Abdul Latif stood victorious in the contest securing 61834 votes, the highest number in Chitral’s history. Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam’s (JUI) candidate Talha Mehmood stood second. Hailing from Haripur and already member of the Senate, Talha Mehmood was severly criticized during the elections for distributing money to gain support in Chitral.

In the Provincial Assmebly seats, PTI-backed Suraya Bibi and Fateh ul Mulk Ali Nasir were victorious from PK-1 and PK-2 constituencies of Upper and Lower Chitral. Suraya Bibi from Awi Booni, secured 18,914 votes from Upper Chitral and became the first woman to be elected to the Provinicial Assembly from Chitral on General Seat. Following the elections, she was selected as the Deputy Speaker to the assembly by her party making her the second woman to occupy the seat in the assembly’s history.

PTI-backed candidate Fateh ul Mulk Ali Nasir gained 28,510 votes from PK-2 Lower Chitral. He also happens to be the titular Mehtar of Chitral.