Former PML-N loyalists in South Punjab trusting the ‘jeep’

Candidates term former premier’s statements as derogatory against national institutions

RAJANPUR: Former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N)MPAs and MNAs, who requested the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to allot them the electoral symbol of a jeep after they turned down PML-N tickets, have justified their action in Dera Ghazi Khan and Muzaffargarh districts of South Punjab.

Sher Ali Gorchani, former deputy speaker of Punjab Assembly from NA-193 and PP-293, left PML-N and decided to contest polls on the electoral symbol of jeep. His father, Pervaiz Iqbal Gorchani, is also contesting polls on the same electoral symbol from PP-295. When asked why he left PML-N after enjoying the benefits for five years, Sher Ali Gorchani said the clerics who supported him were unhappy with Nawaz Sharif because he had not taken a stance on the issue of Khatm-e-Nabuwwat.



“Because of the Faizabad sit-in, my reputation was badly affected in the constituency and at this critical time before general elections, I cannot annoy my voters over a sensitive religious issue. That is why I have decided to contest polls as an independent candidate,” he remarked.

Pervaiz Ali Gorchani said a lot of people in his constituency follow the ideology of Ghazi Abdur Rasheed of Laal Masjid as Rasheed belonged to this area.

Former PML-N men Yousuf Khan Dreshak (from PP-296) and his brother Dr Hafeez Khan Dreshak had their own reasons for contesting polls on the electoral symbol of jeep. They said Nawaz Sharif “spoke against sacred national institutions as well as intelligence and law enforcement agencies”. “We cannot face our people in our constituency because of the statement of Nawaz Sharif,” Yousuf Dreshak said. Both the candidates said that they condemn the action of the former prime minister.

Athar Gorchani, an independent candidate, who is also contesting polls on the electoral symbol of jeep, said he had chosen the symbol because Rajanpur was a mountainous region where it was difficult to travel on cars. “So people use jeeps for travel in this area. Even in polling campaign we travel on jeep,” he said.

Khizar Hayat from NA-195 and Asif Mazari from PP-297 were of the view that they would contest polls on the electoral symbol of lion (PML-N). They said Baloch tribes in Rajanpur were supporting PML-N.

In Rajanpur, members of Janoobi Punjab Sooba Mahaz who joined Pakistan Tehreek-e-Pakistan (PTI) and would contest polls on the ticket of PTI included Jafar Khan, who left PML-N from NA-193, Nasrullah Khan Dareshan from NA-194, Riaz Mazari from NA-195, Ali Raza Dreshak from NA-294, Farooq Amanullah Dreshak from PP-295, Tariq Khan Dreshak from PP-296 and Dost Mohammad Mazari from PP-297.



Rajanpur is a rural district with a low literacy rate. Religion plays an important role in the lives of the people. The PML-N loyalists are now contesting as independent candidates to win the support of the masses.

Shamoona Meer Badshah Qaisarani, from PP-285, is also contesting polls as an independent candidate. She said she left PML-N due to differences on political ideology.

Toeing the line of people in Dera Ghazi Khan and Rajanpur, Sultan Hinjra, a former MNA of PML-N, also turned down his PML-N ticket and decided to contest polls on the jeep symbol from NA-181. In Dera Ghazi Khan, Amjad Farooq Khosa, a former PML-N MNA from NA-190, is also contesting polls as an independent candidate.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 22^nd, 2018.