‘Grassroots worker’ against ‘outsiders’ and ‘new faces’

JI’s Liaquat Baloch has won thrice here, PPP is conspicuous by absence.

LAHORE:

This constituency garnered a lot of interest and became the topic of choice in many discussions right at the start of the election madness. The reason: film actress Meera was rumoured to contest elections from the area as was Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf’s (PTI) chief Imran Khan. But the speculation was just that and it fizzled out.  

Even without Khan and Meera, however, this National Assembly seat is keeping everyone guessing. Historically, the areas comprising the constituency are a stronghold of Liaqat Baloch, who has won the elections thrice (1985, 1990 and 2002). In 2008, he did not contest the elections because JI boycotted them.

For this race, however, the upper-middle and middle class areas like Model Town, Gulberg and Johar Town seem to be leaning towards the Pakistan Tehrrek-i-Insaf. Voters in lower income areas like Pakki Thatti, Shah Di Khoi, Shah Kamal Pura and Ashiq Abad and a small Christian community based in Saint Mary Colony and Makkah Colony seem to be divided between the PTI and the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N). Muslim Town, Punjab University and Iqbal Town are considered JI’s areas.

With PPP and PML-N choosing to go with new candidates and PTI also fielding someone who does not belong to the constituency, Baloch is the only ‘grassroots’ political worker from this constituency. In a telephonic interview with The Express Tribune, Baloch seemed quite confident about his chances of success since he isn’t an “outsider to this constituency like the candidates of other mainstream parties”. “I have been around for more than two decades,” he said.

He expressed confidence in the voters’ ability to distinguish between the party which had made efforts to improve their lives and the others. “None of the new candidates know the dynamics of the constituency let alone the problems of the people,” said Baloch. “I have faith in Allah [and] that I will emerge victorious.”



The PML-N, which in the 2008 elections had won the national and provincial assemblies’ seats from this constituency, has decided to give a ticket to Khawaja Ahmad Hassaan instead of Umer Sohail Zia Butt, a nephew of Nawaz Sharif.

Hassaan, a former Data Ganj Bakhsh Town nazim, has held many portfolios in the previous governments but is a stranger to the constituency. However, he told The Express Tribune that he did not feel like an ‘alien’. During the campaign, he said, he had not felt that any other party was so popularity as to be a challenge for the PML-N. “Everywhere we go, we are supported by locals, mostly youth,” he said. Taking a swipe at the PTI, he added, “The party which claims to be popular among youth will be proven wrong in the elections.”

“Please do not vote for those who are making hallow promises but for those you have know and are trust worthy,” appealed Hassaan to a small group of voters on Saturday at a small gathering in Muslim Town.

Hassaan promised to focus on sewerage and water issues, the lack of a graveyard and education. “While we were at Aitchison, we used to envy students of Central Model School because of the quality of education. I will try and bring that quality back to the government schools.”

On his part, PTI’s Shafqat Mehmood, a retired civil servant who started his career from PPP, was confident that the voters would reject the politicians who had not delivered. “It’s time to bring a change,” said Mehmood repeating his party’s slogan.

Conspicuous by its absence in this constituency is the PPP. One dos not see any banners, streamers or even posters put up by the party. “We don’t believe in putting up banners and posters,” said Syed Zahid Bukhari, the party’s candidate. He said they had chosen to keep a low profile because of security concerns. The party is choosing to arrange corner meetings for campaigning. Bukhari, lashed out against the PML-N for using, what he said was, looted money to run a massive campaign around the city. The PTI also earned his wrath for “using charity money taken for [Shaukat Khanum] hospital for political campaigning”.

PP 152

Khawaja Salman Rafique (PML-N), though a seasoned politician is new to the constituency. He will be competing against Dr Murad Raas (PTI), Javeed Akhtar Chaudhry (PPP) and Malik Shahid Aslam (JI). The total number of candidates in the running is 21.

Dr Raas admitted that Rafique would give him tough competition. What Raas and Aslam think is their biggest advantage is that they belong to the constituency and that have “worked for the area” for many years. Aslam thinks he has “bright chances” of winning.

Rafique predicted that these elections “would be no different than the last”, when people chose the PML-N. “The party has delivered,” he said. He said he would not “label” Raas as a weak or a strong candidate “because it is up to the people to judge”. Asked why the party had chosen him for the constituency instead of Dr Saeed Elahi (who won the last elections), he said, “It was the party’s decision, which every worker respects.”

PP-151

With a total of 32 people contesting for PP-151, the real battle seems to be between Syed Tauseef Hussain Shah (PML-N) and Mian Mehmoodur Rasheed (PTI). Others include Chaudhry Mehmoodul Ahad (JI) and Faheem Jamil Thakar (PPP).

Shah used to be a union council office bearer and takes the party ticket as a ‘promotion’. Though he did not dismiss competition from the PTI and the JI, he said the votes would be divided amongst them and give him the advantage. Rasheed dismissed Shah as a “very weak candidate”.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 2^nd, 2013.