Both wives of a man in the field in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa local body elections
In Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, like the rest of the province, local body elections are in full swing these days, but the battle in the constituency is so unique that there is no precedent. Which is contesting the local body elections in two separate seats.
Ashfaq Hussain, a resident of Mardan district, has two wives and thirteen children. Both the wives are contesting in two separate seats in the local body elections while Ashfaq Hussain is working hard for their success.
The campaign for local body elections is in full swing in 17 districts of Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province these days. There are 3905 women in the fray in these elections, two of whom are Ashfaq Hussain wives.
One of Ashfaq Hussain's wives is contesting for the post of General Counsel and the other for the seat reserved for women.
Surprisingly, the posters of the two women for the election campaign have neither their names nor their pictures, but instead Ashfaq Hussain's name and a picture asking for prayers.
Both the candidates have been identified by their election symbols while the first wife and second wife are also written in one corner of the poster.
This election campaign is going on in Union Council Plu Dheri of Mardan district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. Ashfaq Hussain is very busy these days and is also visiting remote areas of the Union Council.
Nowadays, it is customary for Ashfaq Hussain to go to the constituency with his friends and ask for votes for his wives, while the two female candidates go from house to house in the area together to ask for votes.
Ashfaq Hussain told that he brought his wives into the field because women are the ones who understand women's issues better and women can work better for the betterment of the region.
It should be noted that besides these two, Ashfaq Hussain also has a third marriage but his wife has passed away.
Ashfaq Hussain, when asked if he would not run in the by-elections, said he would run for the provincial or national assembly seat.
Ashfaq Hussain said he has been helping people in the area who have provided clean water taps and pumps and other charitable work for the people.
He said that he has some land and it gives him a good income so he helps people with this income.
Both the women candidates told local journalists that they would try their best to solve the problems faced by women in the area.
According to local journalist he had personally visited the two women in his area and watched their election campaign. He said that there is a consensus between the two women and the same consensus is also seen in this election campaign.
In these elections, a large number of women candidates have come forward who have not revealed their names but their posters have been printed in the names of their husbands.
There have also been incidents in these elections, such as a Khazir service policeman from Khyber District who has come to the field for the Tehsil level elections while the District Police Officer has sacked him. Constable Abdul Razzaq has entered the field for the seat of Tehsil Chairman in Bara Tehsil.
A large number of candidates have been elected unopposed in these elections but so far the Election Commission has not issued any formal notification in this regard.
According to local media reports, more than 2,000 candidates have been elected unopposed in 17 districts of the province, including more than 800 women.
In these 17 districts, a total of more than 37,000 candidates are in the fray for all the seats from chairman or mayor to councilor.
These candidates include the seats of General Counselor, Youth Counselor, Farmers Counselor, Minority Counselor, Labor and Women Counselor besides Chairman or Mayor.