A fierce, sensational and captivating electoral battle is anticipated on February 8 in the NA-55 constituency of the National Assembly, encompassing the cantonment areas.
Independent candidates, backed by both the leading political parties – Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) – are set to clash in this high-stakes contest.
Candidates from Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) and Tehreek-e-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) will also join the fray. PML-N’s candidate, Malik Abrar Ahmad, is facing criticism from within his party, including Raja Jahandad, former vice-president of the Rawalpindi Cantonment Board (RCB), Malik Usman, an independent winner from ward number two, and former senator Chaudhry Tanveer.
Meanwhile, the PTI-supported independent candidate is grappling with challenges, including legal cases hindering an independent election campaign. Malik Abrar, the PML-N’s candidate, previously secured a seat in the 2013 general election but faced tough competition in 2018 from PTI candidate Amir Mehmood Kayani, who won with 105,000 votes to Malik Abrar Ahmed’s 60,125.
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The constituency comprises 10 wards of the RCB area and Chaklala Cantonment Board, housing communities such as Rajgan, Malik, Chaudhary, Khan, and others. A total of 32 candidates, including representatives from various parties and independents like former provincial law minister Raja Basharat, are in the race.
Despite allotted symbols for the candidates, a closely contested battle is expected, particularly between the PML-N candidate and PTI-backed Raja Basharat. The constituency has a total of 431,832 voters, with 210,783 females and 221,049 males. Malik Abrar faces internal party opposition, notably from Raja Jahandad, the vice-president of the RCB, against whom Abrar played a crucial role in a no-confidence motion. Additionally, two candidates, Raja Malik Usman and Haji Zafar Iqbal, who were denied PML-N tickets are now running as independents in other constituencies.
Published in The Express Tribune, January 27th, 2024.
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