Nawaz, in his second trip to Hazara in the last 9 days, said the crowd at his rally indicated that the PML-N had already won the elections and was set to resume the process of development in the country.

Criticising the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP), Nawaz said the PPP had been eliminated from the political scene, and had left behind its B-team.

“Zardari has run away leaving behind a khilari (player) who would also face the same fate in the next few days,” he said while referring to Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

He said he would resolve all concerns of the people, from lack of development and energy crises to unemployment, and transform the country into a developed one.

“We would give your Hazara province, Tarbela Dam’s royalty, build expressways and reconstruct Khanpur-Taxila Road,” he said.

Swabi

While addressing party activists in Swabi Cricket Ground, Nawaz said after May 11, PML-N would triumph and once again launch multiple development projects in the area, adding that if people voted for his party, they could change the fate of the nation.

He claimed he would launch the second phase of the Pehur Canal, provide gas to every household and solve the electricity problems in the region.

He said that people should not vote for him to make him the prime minister, but to redeem the nation’s economy. He lashed out at the previous government for pushing the country to the brink of destruction due to their corrupt policies.

Though Swabi was among one of the biggest electricity producing districts in Pakistan, according to Nawaz, it was left in the darkness because of the previous government’s corruption.

Peshawar

Delivering a speech to party workers on Tuesday, Nawaz Sharif said it was his dream to complete a motorway from Peshawar to Kabul onwards till Tashkent. The PML-N chief, who hardly spent 10 minutes delivering a speech on his last election campaign visit to Peshawar, attempted to attract the youth and said all jobless degree holders would get credit facilities.

In an apparent reference to his opponent, Imran Khan, Nawaz said he did not just play on the ground, but also delivered by participating in the country’s development.

Flanked by party candidates from Peshawar, Iqbal Zafar Jhagra, Nasir Musazai, Sifatullah and Afzal Pinyala, Nawaz said, “We would make the whole region a land of peace again,” adding that Musharraf and Zardari had wreaked havoc in the country.

Rawalpindi

Addressing a gathering in Liaquat Bagh, Nawaz said he did not come to Rawalpindi for his personal interests but for the sake of the country which is beset by a number of problems.

“Pakistan is facing joblessness, energy crises, illiteracy, suicide attacks, lawlessness in Karachi, Balochistan and tribal areas and economic instability,” he said.

“I cannot tolerate to see my country in such crises,” he said adding that if people wanted to rid the country of the prevailing crises, they should vote for PML-N.

“The development work we carried out in those two years could not happen in the last 10 years. Pakistan would have become an Asian economic tiger had we been allowed to complete our tenure,” he said.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 8^th, 2013.

Addressing a public meeting as part of his ongoing election campaign, Fazl maintained the sitting government and election commission were supposed to ensure security in election meetings of all political parties. He, however, lamented the continuous spate of terror attacks and election-related violence had “exposed the arrangements the government boasts of.”

Urging the masses to rid the society of sectarian differences, Fazl said hatred could only be brought to an end by promoting brotherhood. “We cannot convert a Shia into a Sunni and the latter into a Shia.”

Claiming his party has always envisioned peaceful coexistence among different sects, Fazl reiterated his party’s stance on changing the socio-political culture by addressing the needs of the people.

Citing the example of caliphs, he said his party wants to provide solutions to problems at the doorstep of the people. “They (caliphs) used to roam the streets and visit homes, asking what difficulties the people faced,” said the maulana.

A powerful bomb ripped through a JUI-F rally in Sewak area of Kurram Agency leaving 18 people dead and over 50 others injured on Monday. Taliban spokesperson Ehsanullah Ehsan claimed responsibility, saying the attack was meant to target JUI-F leader Munir Orakzai who escaped unhurt.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 7^th, 2013.

He expressed these ideas here on Friday as he was addressing crowded election meetings of his candidates in Battagram, Mansehra, Abbottabad and Haripur districts.

Imran said Pakistan is bestowed with natural resources of water and coal and has the potential of becoming an energy exporter. ‘However the corrupt and visionless rulers have destroyed the country, making the entire nation a beggar, subsisting on foreign debts, he added.

“Our youth is running abroad using illegal means after selling their property,” he said, adding that this was only because the people have tolerated corrupt politicians too long; although Islam stresses on jihad against injustice and tyranny.

Delineating his party’s vision for change, which, he claimed, has already begun, Imran Khan said that if voted to power PTI would first empower the people at district level, giving them the right to run schools on their own, select local SHOs and use the funds available to district governments for their development without running after the elected MNAs and MPAs. “We would introduce a system where the revenue record would be computerised and land disputes would be settled out of court as it was done before British Raj.”

Imran claimed that his government would ensure building the country into a true Islamic welfare state sans corruption while pulling Pakistan out of ‘the war of Americans’. He said his team would make the country economically self-sufficient to the extent that ‘people from other countries would desire to come to Pakistan for employment’. He said that it was only possible when voters use their right to vote for PTI’s ideology rather than choosing representatives on ethnic grounds or political groupings.

Lambasting PML-N’s chief Mian Nawaz Sharif, he said that Nawaz being a businessman is experienced at buying politicians, judges and journalists. ‘He also attempted to buy young people through  his laptop scheme but failed as nobody could put a price on youth’, he added.  Imran Khan accused the PML-N chief of sabotaging the movement for Hazara province.

In Haripur, a PML-Q candidate from PK-50 Syed Hamid Shah stepped aside in favour of PTI’s candidate Yousuf Ayub Khan and announced his decision to join Imran’s party.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 4^th, 2013.

Addressing separate election rallies in Havelian and Murree on Sunday, Nawaz said that dictatorship had always brought great harm to the country and had never allowed his government to complete its constitutional term, disrupting the flow of development that his party had launched. He maintained that corruption and bad governance had left the country with its worst power crisis, terrorism and inflation.

“There has been no considerable improvement in the country since we left it 16 years ago, the situation has worsened instead,” he said adding that President Asif Ali Zardari’s government had hardly done anything for the betterment of people of Pakistan during the last five years.

Nawaz said the Pakistan Peoples Party government introduced corruption and lawlessness, and exposed the country to terrorism.

“They have no right to ask people for their votes as they have done nothing but gifted the nation miseries.”

Talking about development in Hazara, he said steps would be taken to provide people with basic facilities.

“We will provide gas to all villages of Havelian, Sherwan and Galiyat, construct a motorway from Abbottabad to Khanjrab and establish Havelian University,” he promised, adding that his party would arrange bank loans for the youth to end unemployment and promote entrepreneurship.

He also said that his party would construct a railway line from Islamabad to Muree and provide gas and water to Murree’s adjoining areas.

Promising a better future for Pakistan, he said that if voted to power his government would overcome the problem of load-shedding and transform the country into a prosperous state.

Accusing Imran Khan of using derogatory remarks against him, Nawaz said that he did not use indecent language against his competitors. In a jibe directed at the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf chairman, the PML-N chief said he made Pakistan the seventh nuclear power in the world instead of just playing cricket.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.

Keeping this track record intact, many election candidates have either changed parties or opted to run as independents. Now Hazara is witness to a new phenomenon in which brothers, cousins and close relatives are contesting from different platforms.

While some may be pitted against one another, some are secretly influencing voters in favour of their near ones.

PK-49 and NA-19 are two such constituencies where two brothers are contesting from different platforms. Former district nazim, Dr Raja Amir Zaman, is the Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate from NA-19, while his younger brother Raja Faisal Zaman is contesting from PK-49 on a Pakistan Muslim league-Nawaz ticket (PML-N).

As Amir is seen canvassing with PTI’s PK-49 candidate, Akhtar Nawaz Khan, Faisal is interestingly most likely to support his brother’s rival for the National Assembly seat, Omar Ayub Khan, who is representing the PML-N.

In a related vein, the PTI’s Yousuf Ayub Khan is unable to support his cousin Omar Ayub in PK-50 as both are contesting on different election tickets. Omar has not yet addressed any public meeting with his cousin’s competition, Qazi Asad, who is also the PML-N’s candidate from PK-50. Asad defeated Yousuf in 2002 and later his younger brother Arshad Ayub in 2008. However, after having joined the PML-N, he is forced to remain cordial with their cousin Omar under the party’s disciplinary rules.

Meanwhile, in PK-53, Shuja Salim Khan, a former provincial minister, is the Pakistan Peoples Party’s (PPP) candidate for the constituency, while his first cousins Habibullah Sani and Ejaz Akhtar Khan are contesting against him as independents. In the same constituency, Tariq Khan Swati, a former provincial minister and district president of the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q), is also in the race against his nephew’s son Babar Salim Khan Swati. They are both close relatives belonging to the dominant Swati tribe.

Four scions of Sadaat Biradri are in the run against each other. They include PPP ticket holder and former minster for industries Ahmed Hussain Shah and his elder brother former MPA Syed Akhtar Hussain Shah, who are running for the PK-54 seat. Both are the sons of Syed Muzammal Shah, who was a former federal minister and one of the most influential figures of Kaghan valley. Elsewhere, former MPA Syed Mazhar Qasim, who recently quit the PML-Q and joined the Jamiat Ulema-e-Islam-Fazl (JUI-F), is standing from NA-20. His son Mazhar Qasim is also contesting on a JUI-F ticket for the provincial assembly seat, while his first cousin Syed Munir Shah is in the race as an independent candidate.

Observers believe the four Syeds, who are all close relatives, could divide their respective vote banks in a way that benefits PML-N’s Mian Ziaur Rehman. Azam Khan Swati is a PTI ticket holder for the same constituency, while his younger brother Laeq Muhammad Khan is JUI-F’s candidate from NA-21. Here, Nawaz Sharif’s son-in-law Captain Safder is also running on behalf of the PML-N. Unlike other constituencies, however, both Azam Swati and Laeq Khan have been supporting each other proactively.

In PK-55, former provincial minister Shehzada Gustasib Khan is an independent candidate who is facing his first cousin Sardar Khan, a PPP ticket holder. These two candidates have placed their supporters and family members in a very difficult situation indeed.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 29^th, 2013.

Tale of the Tareens

Despite a small tribal vote bank, the Tareens have dominated the political scene since Ayub’s takeover. Those who remained active in politics from this family include Ayub’s brother Sardar Bahadur Khan; his sons, Akhtar and Gohar Ayub Khan; and grandsons, former provincial minister Yousuf, former minister of state for finance Omar and former speaker of the NWFP (now Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa) Assembly, Maj (Retd) Habibullah Khan Tareen.

Gohar Ayub Khan contested repeatedly in 1977, 1985, 1990, 1993 and 1997, defeating his rivals each time. He joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid before the general election in 2002, and fielded his son, Omar, as the party’s candidate, as he himself did not have a bachelor’s degree.  In turn, Omar benefited from his father’s vote bank and landed a thumping majority.

However, as the nation’s satisfaction with the PML-Q dropped, Omar lost to Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidate Sardar Mushtaq Khan in 2008. Soon after, he and his father jumped ship to the PML-N, finally winning its ticket after 10 years. This year, Omar will contest NA-19 from the PML-N platform.

Other players in the ring

Mushtaq has joined the Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP) bandwagon, after being peeved that he was not taken into confidence before Gohar and Omar were inducted into the PML-N.

He shook hands with the PPP leadership on the condition that various mega projects would be undertaken in Haripur, including the reconstruction of Khanpur Taxila Road and the establishment of a medical college. As Mushtaq brings with him a considerable vote bank, and the PPP has never won the seat in six decades, the leadership consented. Former premier Raja Pervez Ashraf announced these projects at a public meeting.

However, much to his chagrin, the PPP government did not deliver on a single promise. And yet, despite this, Mushtaq managed to renovate the Zafar and Chaman parks, and even provide electricity and Sui gas to some villages, from the funds he obtained during his time as PML-N’s MNA.

Another strong candidate is Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s Dr Raja Amer Zaman, son of the late senior politician Raja Sikandar Zaman. Although his family in politically influential, the under development of his area, the Khanpur Valley, is rather evident. Much like Omar, Zaman is also settled in Islamabad, and only visits his native district on a need basis. In many ways, he has failed to keep the connections of his father alive.

Previous Election Results

NA-19 (Haripur)

Omar Ayub Khan
SM Sabir Shah

NA-19 (Haripur)

Sardar Muhammad Mushtaq

Dr Raja Amer Zaman

What happens next?

Analysts believe Mushtaq’s success resulted from a strong anti-Tareen feeling amongst the voters that the influential family did too little with too much. Even today, the lack of basic amenities in this resource-rich area is jarring.

Although Mushtaq’s  five years as an MNA were stained with charges of apathy,  he is still considered to be a strong contender, as he retains the largest vote bank – that of Gujjars, Awans, small ethnic groups, and PPP supporters.

On the other hand, some analysts claim that Omar’s decision of moving to the PML-N has enhanced his popularity. However, this may not be enough to help the Tareens win back the seat.

Furthermore, the enthusiastic young PTI voters will also make the upcoming competition a tough one.

Only time will tell which candidate steals away the hearts of voters.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 27^th, 2013.

These political warriors are set to battle it out for the two National Assembly seats – NA 17 and NA 18 – in an area where the clan and connections are more important than political ideologies.

The great NA 17 showdown

A distinguishing factor of this electoral cycle is that former federal minister Amanullah Khan Jadoon, a senior politician who enjoys immense respect in the area, is out of the race, due to his deteriorating health.  Meanwhile, his arch rival, Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N’s) Sardar Mehtab Ahmed Khan Abbasi is vying to stage a second comeback.

And yet, even with Amanullah out of the picture, it will not be smooth sailing for Mehtab . He faces stiff competition from the PTI’s Dr Azhar Khan Jadoon.

Mehtab has other strikes against him, too

Although successful from 1990 to 1997, he was behind bars on charges related to the wheat scandal during the 2002 polls. He did win the seat in 2008, defeating Amanullah by a large margin, but his detractors today question his performance during the past five years, and during his stint as K-P chief minister from 1997 to 1999.

His inaccessibility to voters, the lack of development in his native area, and increased joblessness are other factors that work against him.

Although there are eleven candidates in the run for this semi urban constituency – including candidates from the influential Jadoon, Karlal, Abbasi, Tanoli and Awan clans – the real competition is expected to be between Dr Azhar and Mehtab.

Sardar Haider Zaman, chief of Tehrik Suba Hazara (TSH), was initially among the contenders but withdrew his candidature to focus on NA 18.

After Zaman’s withdrawal, the political balance has changed altogether. Although Sardar Fida Hussain is now the TSH candidate, Zaman’s supporters have jumped ship to Dr Azhar, who has also spearheaded the Hazara province movement from various platforms.  Tribal elders have been approached to use their influence to aid him in defeating Mehtab and a jirga was reportedly held at Amanullah’s residence to increase support for Azhar, a fellow Jadoon.

In this way, veteran Mehtab finds himself in even hotter waters, and PTI’s Dr Azhar may change the political landscape of Abbotabad. He is already confident of over 30,000 voters from his tribe, and if Amanullah lends his full support, this Jadoon may very well be unstoppable.

Previous Election Results

2002

NA-17 (Abbottabad I)

Amanullah Khan Jadoon

Dr Azhar Khan Jadoon

NA-18 (Abbottabad II)

Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob

Murtaza Javed Abbasi

2008

NA-17 (Abbottabad I)

Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan Abbasi

Dr Muhammad Azhar Khan Jadoon

NA-18 (Abbottabad II)

Murtaza Javed Abbasi

Sardar Muhammad Yaqoob

Strong trio fights it out for NA 18

The importance of NA 18 should not be ignored. Area wise, it is a very large constituency, comprising Havelian, Lower Tanawal and parts of Galiyat Valley. It plays host to the Karlal, Abbasi, Tanolis, Jadoon, Gujjar and Awan clans.

This constituency was the stronghold of the Abbasis and the Karlals, who gifted the seat to PML-N chief Nawaz Sharif twice, in 1993 and 1997. He, unfortunately, could not bring about the desired improvements to the general living standard.

Analysts say the real competition is between Sardar Haider Zaman of TSH, Sardar Yaqub Khan of PTI and Murtaza Javed Abbasi of PML-N. Seemingly, the three leaders currently enjoy equal weightage.

However, the TSH and PTI candidates may divide the vote bank of their Karlal tribe, whereas PML-N’s Murtaza could damage his voter base due to his performance.

With these three strong contenders in the ring, the outcome seems wildly unpredictable at the moment.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 26^th, 2013.

HARIPUR: The contest in PK-50 Haripur-II has taken an interesting turn with the disqualification of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) candidate Yusuf Ayub Khan, a two-time provincial minister and nephew of former foreign minister Gohar Ayub Khan.

Yusuf had decided to put his experience as district nazim to use by contesting from PK-50, once a strong hold of Tareens. However, Yusuf’s hopes faded when his nomination papers were rejected following an objection raised by former Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa Assembly speaker and close relative, Major (r) Habib Ullah Khan, over Yusuf’s contradictory academic qualification claims.

According to a returning officer, Yusuf had claimed he had a Bachelor of Arts degree when he contested the 2002 general elections. But when filing nomination papers for the upcoming elections, he mentioned completing education only till the intermediate level.

Following his disqualification, Ayub held a press conference and said he would not challenge the decision in court. Instead, he told his supporters to divert their attention towards his younger brother Arshad Ayub Khan and support him as a covering candidate.

Arshad first ventured into politics when he participated in the 2008 general elections. He, however, lost to an independent candidate, Qazi Asad, who also defeated Yusuf in the 2002 polls.

Yusuf’s disqualification has now given Asad a clearer shot at the provincial assembly seat for a third time. Despite having joined Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N), Asad would have faced tough competition had Yusuf been in the running.

Observers believe even though Asad has been praised for his tenure as the provincial minister for higher education, during which he introduced several projects in the education sector, he has lost the support of some close friends. These include former union nazim Khursheed Anwar Khan and supporters from his own Sikandarpur village. He has also lost support in areas like Sera-e-Saleh village and Mohallah Malikpura.

In the meantime, PTI remains undecided over selecting Yusuf’s successor. The situation has become more complicated with Khurshid Anwar Khan’s induction into PTI. Khurshid is Arshad Ayub’s rival and unlikely to withdraw his candidacy in favour of the latter.

Sources close to Arshad Ayub maintained that since his brother’s supporters were on Arshad’s side, PTI will award the ticket to him.

PTI district president Kamal Ahmed Ghaznavi rebutted the claim, saying his party is yet to make a decision following Yusuf’s disqualification.

Khurshid, who has a rapport with senior PTI leaders including Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Makhdoom Javed Hashmi, argued that since Arshad did not apply for the party ticket before the deadline, he cannot be awarded a ticket in place of his brother.

“PTI is not anyone’s family property. It’s a party that encourages democratic norms,” said Khurshid.

The race between Khurshid and Asad would be a close one because both candidates enjoy support in PK-50. Khurshid could also well become a spoiler for Asad.

Ghazan Iqbal Khan Tareen, another relative of Yusuf, will also be contesting from the same constituency on a Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) ticket. Though Ghazan is a new entrant, he could cause a dent in Arshad Ayub’s vote bank due to family ties.

Pakistan Peoples Party district president Haji Tahir Qureshi will be joining the race and is said to enjoy support of urban voters in some areas.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 10^th, 2013.

PML-N provincial president Pir Sabir Shah has been accused of violating the constitutional qualification of being truthful (sadiq) and honest (ameen) as he failed to provide the source of income for the $219,000 he has in his bank account.

TSH chief Baba Haider Zaman, on the other hand, is facing objections for his alleged involvement in the April 12, 2010 riots against renaming of North West Frontier Province to Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P).

Sources in the election commission said Rizwan Saeed Mughal and Azhar Hussain, two candidates from PK-52 Haripur-IV, have filed similar objections with returning officer (RO) Qaisar Afridi against Sabir Shah, PML-N’s candidate for the same constituency.

They claimed the income and expenditure reports submitted by Shah have disparities. They also said the PML-N leader could not account for the source of income of the dollars in his account.

Iqbal Advocate, counsel for Rizwan Saeed Mughal, accused Shah of not being truthful and honest which is mandatory for a candidate under Article 62 and 63.

Responding to these allegations, Shah claimed the foreign currency was donations sent by his followers in Bangladesh. However, he could not satisfy the RO as he was unable to produce any proof.

Baba Haider Zaman is contesting from NA-17 Abbottabad-I, NA-18 Abbottabad-II and PK-48 Abbottabad-IV as a candidate of TSH. Muhammad Javed, a resident of Abbottabad, has filed objections against Zaman with all the three respective ROs.

Javed claimed Zaman was charged of involvement in the anti-renaming riots in Abbotabad two years ago, in which seven citizens were killed and over 100 wounded in clashes with the police. He alleged Zaman evaded legal action by using his political clout.

Zaman had reportedly been gifted two plots in Abbottabad which he sold at a higher price. District and Sessions Judge Abbottabad Arshad Khan has ordered that the case file for the April 2010 riots be presented in court on Saturday.

According to sources, the ROs have also fixed April 6 as the date for announcing their decision.

Published in The Express Tribune, April 6^th, 2013.

“Last time we carried out nuclear explosions. Now we will carry out economic explosions,” Nawaz told the crowd in the Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) stronghold, where supporters packed a huge cricket stadium.

The twice elected premier highlighted his previous stints during which Pakistan became a nuclear power, but reminded the crowd how his government had been sent packing first by Ghulam Ishaq Khan and later by General Pervez Musharraf.

Nawaz said his party would have changed the destiny of the country if he had been allowed to complete his constitutional term, while jogging the crowd’s memory for building the motorway from Peshawar to Lahore and executing successful economic reforms. “We will generate 50,000 megawatt of electricity, instead of only bridging a shortfall of 5,000,” said Nawaz while promising an  end to chronic power cuts – a veiled attack on the outgoing government.

Security was extremely tight at the rally with police commandos patrolling with AK-47s and a buffer zone ringed with barbed wire around the stage, but the PML-N chief managed to rile up the crowd by ordering a bullet-proof screen around his podium to be removed.

“I am not fond of power. I only want to see my country progress and my people prosper,” he told the crowd.

He went on to promise that if his party was elected a third time, he would build a motorway from Lahore to Karachi, the country’s business capital, among other development projects  including an airport in Mansehra and roads from Jhalkad to Chilas and Thakot to Tashkent, besides.

The PML-N chief also reiterated his party’s promise to create a Hazara province if he came into power.

The rally, which even featured a live tiger in a cage, was being hosted by the ex-nazim of Mansehra district Sardar Mohammad Yousaf. Two police officials estimated the crowd at up to 30,000. The stadium was decorated with large portraits of Sharif and banners reading “Tiger of Pakistan, we love you” and “Welcome prime minister of Pakistan, pride of Pakistan”.

Nawaz first became prime minister in 1990 but was sacked three years later on corruption charges. He returned to power in 1997 after an election but was ousted in the 1999 coup by Musharraf and was sent into exile in Saudi Arabia in 2000.

He returned in November 2007 just before the February 2008 general election, won by the PPP on a wave of support following the assassination of its leader Benazir Bhutto in December 2007.

Mohammad Afzal, a student aged 18, said he would vote for Sharif.

“Only he can save us from load-shedding and control inflation,” Afzal told AFP.

Earlier in the day, PML-Q MNA Shah Jehan Yusuf and former PML-Q MPA Wajeehuz Zaman Khan also announced their arrival in PML-N ranks.

Published in The Express Tribune, March 26^th, 2013.