Amid govt silence, PTI eyes victory in LG polls

ISLAMABAD:

The Islamabad High Court’s (IHC) direction to the Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) to conduct local government elections in Islamabad on December 31 (today) dropped like a bombshell on the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) led ruling alliance as its efforts to postpone the polls failed.

Soon after the IHC’s decision, there were talks of challenging the same through an intra-court appeal, but it did not happen before the court’s official time.

The ruling alliance is likely to challenge the decision on Saturday – the LG elections day.

The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) is sensing victory in the LG polls and, perhaps, that is why Chairman Imran Khan and other party leaders urged the people of Islamabad to fully participate in the LG polls to inflict defeat on the opponents soon after the IHC decision came.

However, the PML-N led ruling alliance was nowhere to be seen after the IHC decision. Apart from a statement attributed to Interior Minister Rana Sanaullah, saying that holding the elections was not possible as the arrangements could not be made in such a short period, there was no one who felt comfortable enough to comment on the situation.

“If they were winning then why would they delay elections,” PTI Islamabad President Ali Nawaz Awan questioned, saying that the way the PML-N led ruling alliance changed laws and the number of union councils, it was enough to show that the ruling alliance’s position was not strong enough to win the LG polls.

“They are simply running away from elections,” the PTI leader said, adding that the federal government was wondering what would be left in its hands if PTI won the LG elections in Islamabad.

“If you ask the ruling alliance right now whether they are afraid of elections or death, they will tell you that they are afraid of elections,” he said.

Awan, who served as special assistant to the former premier, said that the PTI would file a contempt petition if elections were delayed despite the IHC order.

Awan pointed out that the ruling alliance could not even field candidates against all the slots up for grab in the LG polls, adding that the government’s assessment as well as a leaked intelligence report – two pages being circulated on social media – predicted PTI’s victory.

The intelligence report, whose veracity could not be independently verified, stated that in its likely assessment that the PML-N was going to win in 25 UCs, Pakistan Peoples Party in two, PTI in 63 and independent candidates in six.

“Assessment is based on [the] popularity of parties as well as some independent candidates,” the report read. “As of now, the PTI is regarded the most popular party in the [federal] capital because all three sitting MNAs also belong to it.”

Of the total 101 UCs, the PTI says, their candidates had won three seats unopposed and on one seat, there was a contest among workers of the PTI.

Reportedly, as per the statistics shared by the ECP, a total of 1,074 individuals as joint candidates filed nomination papers for chairman and vice-chairman for a total of 101 union councils, while 1,945 submitted nominations for 606 general seats, six each for every union council.

Further, it added, 546 candidates were running for 202 reserved seats for women, 344 for 101 reserved seats for youth, 348 and 146 for 101 reserved seats for labourers and peasants, and 146 for 101 reserved seats for non-Muslims.

Federal minister for interior and information, among others, were asked if the PML-N or the ruling alliance was ready for the LG polls in the federal capital and what were its chances of winning the same but they did not respond.