Nach Punjaban: Song scars Abrarul Haq’s image in rural Punjab

PML-N is using Haq’s song ‘Nach Punjaban Nach’ to damage his image in NA-117 Narowal.

NAROWAL:

What became one of the top rated songs in his singing career has become the bane of Abrarul Haq’s election campaign in the highly conservative rural Punjab constituency of NA 117 Narowal.

The PML-N is using Haq’s song ‘Nach Punjaban Nach’ (dance Punjaban, dance) to damage his image in NA-117 Narowal, a conservative rural constituency where people still call professional singers ‘mirasi’, a derogatory term in Punjab.

PML-N candidates are telling the villagers that a singer is not fit to be their representative in the National Assembly.



Battleground Narowal

Narowal district comprises three NA seats and five provincial assembly seats. The constituency is known as PML-N’s hub even in rainy days.

From NA-116 the former chairman of National Reconstruction Bureau Danyal Aziz is contesting on PML-N ticket against PPP’s candidate Muhammad Tariq Anees.

From NA 115, PML-N’s Mian Muhammad Rasheed is a strong candidate against PPP’s Farooq Akbar Kahloon.

PML-N has fielded Ahsan Iqbal against Haq in NA 117 which consists of 550 villages and the Narowal town. Two provincial assembly seats, PP 135 and PP136, fall under this constituency.

Iqbal has won NA 117 seat in 1993, 1997 and 2008 elections, while Haq is a newcomer.

Although Ahsan Iqbal initially refrained from exploiting voters’ sentiments on Haq’s profession, the PML-N candidates Col (Retd) Shujat Ahmed Khan from PP 136 and Waseem Butt from PP 135 launched a vicious campaign against Haq.

Simple people, simple talk

Ahsan Iqbal said he could compete with politicians on politics, but unfortunately his rival is a singer and dancer and he could not compete with him in dancing and music.

Iqbal visited eight villages and at each stop he tried to convince the simple folks by simple examples.

At one village he asked the people, “would you allow an untrained person to run a tractor, no, then how can you let a political novice to run the government.”

Iqbal reminded voters about development projects he had delivered in last five years.

Abrarul Haq fights back

The famed musician and philanthropist told The Express Tribune that Ahsan Iqbal was misleading the people. Iqbal’s claim of gas for people of Narowal is a lie, Haq said. He challenged Iqbal for a face to face public debate.

“It was I who got the supply of natural gas notified for Narowal district and established Sughra Shafi Hospital for the welfare of the people,” Haq said. Haq said if he is a singer, then Sahara Hospital and Medical College is the fruit of his profession. He said that PML-N’s campaign against his songs and profession is going against them.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 1^st, 2013.