Shah Alam Market: Where PTI and PPP have joined hands against PML-N

LAHORE: Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s candidate for chairman and a Pakistan Peoples Party worker are contesting the election for chairman and vice chairman on the same panel.

PTI’s Haji Muhammad Imtiaz, candidate for chairman, was elected councillor in 2001 and 2005. He had earlier contested the election for MPA twice but had lost. Chaudhry Fayyaz, a PPP worker, from the same panel, was elected councillor in the same constituency on a PPP ticket.

Imtiaz says while Fayyaz has not joined the PTI, he is contesting the election on PTI’s platform. “We share a rival so we have decided to join hands.” He says they are hopeful that, together, they can defeat the candidates fielded by the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz.

PML-N’s candidate for chairman is Arif Naseem Kashmiri who was elected nazim in 2005. PML-N’s candidate for vice chairman is Saleem Raza who was naib nazim from this UC in 2005. Raza was with the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid at that time.

Kashmiri said their party leadership had been instrumental in developing the Walled City and UC 34 in particular. “We are quite certain that we will win.”

He said that his plan for the development of the UC included revamping the cleanliness system. The election activity in the union council has reached an all-time high. The candidates have been holding corner meetings, going door-to-door for canvassing, and offering free beverages and meals at their offices which remain open well into the night.

Haji Imtiaz and Chaudhry Fayyaz held a motorcycle rally on Sunday in which a large number of youngsters participated. The participants waved PTI party flags and shouted slogans. The area was previously a part of UC 28 which has now been divided into two union councils – 34 and 35.The number of votes in the UC are 13,672 –5,679 of them women. The union council comprises Androon Bhati Gate, Androon Masti Gate, Androon Lohari Gate, Koocha Sirki Bandhan, Androon Lohari Gate, Munj Kuttan Lohari Gate, Androon Shah Alam Gate, Nia Bazaar Shah Alam Gate, Mohalla Kiria Ram, Kasaira Bazaar and Haveli Mian Khan.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 27^th, 2015.