PML-N stalwarts in Abbottabad at loggerheads
Murtaza Abbasi threatens to ‘cut out eyes’ of anyone who encroaches on his home constituency
Sharif brothers. PHOTO: AFP
PESHAWAR:
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to have run into trouble even before the elections start with two of its major political figures in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at loggerheads, one senior party member threatening to ‘cut out the eyes’ of his opponent.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi is apparently furious after the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Khan announced to contest polls from his constituency. They both hail from the same area.
The issue surfaced after the recent delimitations were announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and Mehtab expressed his desire to contest the upcoming elections from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Despite several meetings and assurances from Mehtab that he was not directly competing with Abbasi, the latter remained unmoved.
In a video statement, where Abbasi is addressing locals, the deputy NA speaker said that elders from different villages in his constituency of Abbottabad had held six meetings with the prime minister’s adviser.
“In the third meeting, Mehtab agreed with me and stated that he will contest elections from an area where he has a majority of voters and I will contest from an area where I have a majority of voters,” Abbasi could be heard stating in the video.
“I was astonished when, during a meeting held for PK-36, Mehtab announced that he will instead contest the upcoming general elections from the constituency previously delimited as PK-15,” Abbasi told the gathering, adding, “it [to contest from PK-15] is my right since I have contested polls from this constituency six times.”
“This is my right, I am not someone’s tenant — I will cut out their [who tries to contest polls from PK-15] eyes,” Abbasi warned without naming Mehtab.
When asked, Abbasi stated that he has discussed the issue with both the provincial and central leadership of the party, adding. “I was told that the issue will be sorted out on merit and that I should continue campaigning for the next general elections.’
He further said that his and Mehtab’s home union councils fell within the area which was previously demarcated as NA-15.
Abbasi, who was elected to the lower house of Parliament from NA-18, added that he and his father have contested from the same area for past six elections, adding that around 70 per cent of the voters in the area favoured him while Mehtab enjoys support from around 30 per cent of voters in the area.
“He [Mehtab] met my opponent today [Wednesday] and I should also clarify that 70 per cent of his voters falls within NA-16, but he has still announced to contest polls from NA-15,” Abbasi told The Express Tribune.
Party insiders say that while Abbasi has received the green light from the centre, he may face immense resistance from the provincial leadership.
With Mehtab enjoying a strong position with the party leadership, typified by his current status in the government, it would become a very difficult decision for the provincial leadership to make in the coming weeks.
Despite repeated attempts, neither Mehtab nor PML-N Provincial President Amir Muqam could be reached for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2018.
The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) seems to have run into trouble even before the elections start with two of its major political figures in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa at loggerheads, one senior party member threatening to ‘cut out the eyes’ of his opponent.
Deputy Speaker National Assembly Murtaza Javed Abbasi is apparently furious after the Prime Minister’s Adviser on Aviation Sardar Mehtab Khan announced to contest polls from his constituency. They both hail from the same area.
The issue surfaced after the recent delimitations were announced by the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP), and Mehtab expressed his desire to contest the upcoming elections from Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa.
Despite several meetings and assurances from Mehtab that he was not directly competing with Abbasi, the latter remained unmoved.
In a video statement, where Abbasi is addressing locals, the deputy NA speaker said that elders from different villages in his constituency of Abbottabad had held six meetings with the prime minister’s adviser.
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“In the third meeting, Mehtab agreed with me and stated that he will contest elections from an area where he has a majority of voters and I will contest from an area where I have a majority of voters,” Abbasi could be heard stating in the video.
“I was astonished when, during a meeting held for PK-36, Mehtab announced that he will instead contest the upcoming general elections from the constituency previously delimited as PK-15,” Abbasi told the gathering, adding, “it [to contest from PK-15] is my right since I have contested polls from this constituency six times.”
“This is my right, I am not someone’s tenant — I will cut out their [who tries to contest polls from PK-15] eyes,” Abbasi warned without naming Mehtab.
When asked, Abbasi stated that he has discussed the issue with both the provincial and central leadership of the party, adding. “I was told that the issue will be sorted out on merit and that I should continue campaigning for the next general elections.’
He further said that his and Mehtab’s home union councils fell within the area which was previously demarcated as NA-15.
Abbasi, who was elected to the lower house of Parliament from NA-18, added that he and his father have contested from the same area for past six elections, adding that around 70 per cent of the voters in the area favoured him while Mehtab enjoys support from around 30 per cent of voters in the area.
“He [Mehtab] met my opponent today [Wednesday] and I should also clarify that 70 per cent of his voters falls within NA-16, but he has still announced to contest polls from NA-15,” Abbasi told The Express Tribune.
Party insiders say that while Abbasi has received the green light from the centre, he may face immense resistance from the provincial leadership.
With Mehtab enjoying a strong position with the party leadership, typified by his current status in the government, it would become a very difficult decision for the provincial leadership to make in the coming weeks.
Despite repeated attempts, neither Mehtab nor PML-N Provincial President Amir Muqam could be reached for comment.
Published in The Express Tribune, May 18th, 2018.