Policy directives: PM orders party to go all out for NA-19 contest

Says Hazara has become centre of attention with CPEC project rolled out.

HARIPUR: Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif has ordered Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa chapter to spare no effort for retaining the NA-19, Haripur seat during the upcoming by-election.

Party insiders told The Express Tribune a meeting was held at PM House on Tuesday where Nawaz reviewed party affairs. During the moot, he urged provincial bigwigs to throw their weight behind party candidate Babar Nawaz Khan.

Governor Sardar Mehtab Ahmad Khan, Federal Minister for Religious Affairs Sardar Muhammad Yusuf, National Assembly Deputy Speaker Murtaza Javed Abbasi, MNA Capt (retd) Muhammad Safdar, former MNAs Sardar Mushtaq and Omar Ayub and former provincial ministers Ayub Afridi, Qazi Muhammad Asad and Major (retd) Habibullah Tareen were present on the occasion.

According to insiders, PML-N K-P President Pir Sabir Shah briefed the party supremo over the political scenario following the local government elections and the preparations made for the NA-19, Haripur by-election.

Insiders said PM also directed leaders to strengthen the party at the grass-root level and help its cause.

He said with the approval of the China Pakistan Economic Corridor, the Hazara region will once again assume centre-stage and a number of development projects will soon be started in the division. He vowed to visit Hazara soon and inaugurate these projects.



Nawaz also directed Shah and Babar to fight tooth and nail and win back the seat that has been dominated by the party for years. “Work hard and leave the matter unto Allah. I will hear from you all on the evening of August 16,” he was quoted as saying.

Speaking to The Express Tribune, Ayub Afridi said Nawaz told party leaders to abide by party ideology and not blood relations. “Since we have several development projects to our credit, I think we will be able to retain our berth,” Afridi added.

Also speaking on the occasion, Mehtab urged Hazara chapter leaders to shun differences and divert energies towards the cause.

The by-election is scheduled for August 16. Nine candidates are in the run but PML-N’s Babar and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s Dr Raja Amir Zaman are leading the line as the toughest contenders. Zaman is the older brother of PK-49, Haripur-I MPA Raja Faisal Zaman who was also present before the PM at the meeting.

The Election Commission of Pakistan has decided to introduce the biometric system at 30 out of the constituency’s 537 polling stations on an experimental basis.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 5^th, 2015.