PTI, PML-N to enter nail-biting contest

Balighur Rehman of PML-N and Farooq-e-Azam of PTI have a strong position in NA-170

BAHAWALPUR: In three constituencies of Bahawalpur NA-170, PP-245 and PP-246, PTI and PML-N are most likely to have tough competition during polls, however, religious parties might be able to lose their vote bank. NA-170 consists of 26 union councils of city and Saddar areas while 21 union councils are urban with remaining being rural.

It is likely that Jamaat-e-Islami and Tehreek-e-Labaik would get the religious vote affecting the PML-N’s vote bank, out of the candidates contesting for NA-170, Balighur Rehman of PML-N and Farooq-e-Azam of PTI, have a strong position and it is expected to be a nail-biting contest.



The total number of voters in NA-170 is 360,608, including 195,039 male and 165,569 female voters. The total number of polling stations for the constituency is 249, out of which 112 are for male and female voters each, and 25 are combined polling stations. As many as 703 polling booths are established out of which 367 male and 336 female polling booths, among these 14 polling booths have been declared sensitive.

Farooq-e-Azam who is currently contesting on the ticket of PTI, won in 1988 on PPP’s ticket and later in 2002 on the ticket of Millat Party, while Balighur Rehman was elected in 2008 and 2013 on the ticket of PML-N.

Turnout in the last general elections was approximately 53% which was way more than of 2008’s 33.97%. From this constituency Syed Zeshan Akhtar (independent), Syed Irfan Ahmad Gardezi (PPPP), Syed Waseem Akhtar (MMAP), Shahzia Noreen (All Pakistan Muslim League), Alamghir Mansha (independent), Muhammad Anwar (independent), Muhammad Balighur Rehman (PML-N), Muhammad Usman Farooq (independent), Muhammad Farooq-e-Azam Malik (PTI), Mehmoodul Hassan (Tehreek-e-Labaik Pakistan), Mian Shahid Iqbal (independent) and Naheed Malik (independent) are contesting the polls for the NA seat.

PP-245 consists of both urban and rural population. The total number of registered voters in the constituency is 173,830 including 95,128 male and 78,702 are female. A total of 119 polling stations and 334 polling booths will be established for 173,830 voters; 51 polling stations are for male and 51 are for female voters while 17 are combined. Likewise, 178 polling booths are for males and 156 for females out of total 334 while seven polling stations have been declared as sensitive.

Haji Muhammad Hanif (independent), Zahir Iqbal (PML-N), Muhammad Asghar (PTI), Muhammad Yousaf (Pakistan Falah Party), Muhammad Asim Javed Abbasi (PPPP), and Nasreen Anwar (independent) are contesting from this constituency.

PML-N’s Malik Muhammad Iqbal Channar has been victorious in the last three general elections of 2002,2008 and 2013, he defeated the likes of PPP’s Zafar Iqbal, PML-Q’s Ejaz Safder and Asghar Joiya of PTI respectively.

A tough competition is expected this time between Malik Iqbal Channar’s son Zahir Iqbal Channar contesting on PML-N’s ticket and PTI’s Asghar Joya.

PP-246 consists of urban areas and the total number of registered voters in the area is 186,778 including 99,911 male and 86,867 female.



In 2002 and 2013, Dr Syed Wasim Akhtar won the elections from this constituency while in 2008 Haji Zulfiqar Ali of PML-N won the polls.

A tough competition between PML-N’s Dr Rana Tariq and PTI’s Sammiullah Chaudhry is expected from this constituency. Muhammad Tayyeb Ashiq (Allah-o-Akbar Tehreek), Muhammad Usman Farooq (independent), Samiullah Chaudhry (PTI), Shakir Mirza (PPPP), Shafqatur Rehman (Mutihida Majlis-e-Amal Party ), Muhammad Aslam (independent), Muhammad Yousuf Akram Abbasi (Tehreek Labbaik Pakistan) and Mehmood Aslam (Pakistan Awami Raj) are contesting from this constituency.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 23^rd, 2018.