PTI focusing on central Punjab to turn tide in next election

Party managed to win only two seats during last general elections

ISLAMABAD: Besides focusing on the Panamagate investigations against the ruling Sharif family, the senior PTI leadership has been working side by side on strengthening its ranks in central Punjab that it considers will be a real battlefield in the 2018 general elections.

The recent joining of seasoned politicians from the districts of Mandi Bahauddin, Sialkot, Gujranwala and Okara is part of the plan the party had been working on for quite some time now.

After the Panamagate decision from the Supreme Court, the senior leadership also sees another fresh wave of politicians from across Punjab joining the party, including the ones from the ruling PML-N, on the pattern of post-October 30, 2011 rally in Lahore.

In the recent past, the party has focused on some 19 districts of central Punjab consisting of 94 National Assembly constituencies. According to a senior leader privy to the developments, the party aims to grab the maximum number of seats out of it.



The situation was fairly poor for the PTI in these districts during the 2013 general elections. Out of 94 NA seats, it managed to win only two. The PML-N had made a clean sweep by clinching 91 seats while the PML-Q grabbed only one.

In some of the constituencies the party has completed what they call ‘the scientific survey’ of the constituency. Primarily, the survey is a popularity check of political leaders representing a specific constituency.

“The PTI has assessed voting patterns of the general elections of 2008 and 2013 and local bodies elections in various constituencies of central Punjab,” a senior party leader said, adding, “Through fresh sampling, a randomly selected group of over 3,500 individuals from one NA constituency are asked about their possible choice of candidate for the 2018 elections.”

“Electables are being focused in only those constituencies where PTI candidates were at number three or even lower,” the leader added.

For example, a survey carried out in Sialkot (NA 111) showed that former PPP minister Firdous Ashiq Awan’s popularity stood at 95 per cent – that is 95 per cent of people supported the idea of Awan representing the PTI in that constituency.



Through the efforts made by the PTI, Awan announced her joining the party. The PTI candidate in this constituency was at number three bagging over 31,000 votes, while Awan was the runner-up candidate.

In Mandi Bahauddin district (NA-109) Nazar Muhammad Gondal, who recently joined the PTI, was the runner-up. The PTI’s candidate trailed at number three.

In Gujranwala district (NA-98) Imtiaz Safdar Warraich was the runner-up and again the PTI’s man lagged behind at number three. The same goes for all other PPP leaders who recently joined the PTI from the districts in central Punjab.

The party also intends to support PML-Q candidates in some central Punjab constituencies where they did well during the 2013 general elections.

In some of the Gujrat district constituencies, the PTI is expected to support PML-Q candidates. Collectively, in the Gujrat district, the PML-Q was the runner-up, while the PTI came in third.

The leader said similar pattern is being followed in the Potohar and southern regions of Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.

“The PTI’s back-channel talks are in progress with several PPP and some PML-N leaders from central Punjab,” the leaders claimed, adding, “Right now several potential electables from Punjab had only been waiting the judgment in the Panamagate case.

“With the announcement of the Panamagate verdict, all these leaders will decide about their future political course,” he added.

He said some electables from Faisalabad, Lahore and Gujranwala districts – which collectively have 30 NA constituencies – will soon announce their support for the PTI.