NA-125 has a record of returning Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz candidates, but this time Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf appears to have a lot of support this time promising a close contest between PML-N’s Khwaja Saad Rafique and PTI’s Hamid Khan.
Election offices of both the parties are over-flowing with campaign workers and supporters at any given time.
The constituency comprised 18 union councils. The cantonment area has 15 villages, most of which are turning into urban settlement. The city is said to be expanding from this constituency rapidly with new housing schemes and infrastructure. The Allama Iqbal International Airport and the Ring Road have significantly added to the value of properties in the area.
Rafique’s supporters are confident of a PML-N victory in the area saying that Khan, a former Supreme Court Bar Association president who was also a prominent figure in the lawyers’ movement for the restoration of superior court judges, has not been very active in the campaign.
Major issues
Cantonment is seen as a major problem in the constituency. Civilian residents complain of lack of access to many facilities, including the public parks. Most civilian residents say getting cantonment offices to do something is “the most difficult thing”.
The urban areas have carpeted roads and streetlights, but the rural villages lack infrastructure, including proper sewerage. Water filtration plants were installed in most areas over the last five years. No major sewerage project got off despite a couple of proposals and several meetings with the divisional commissioner.
Residents of areas along Bedian Road are the worst off. The road has seen several construction and repair initiatives in the last five years, but parts of it are still in a dilapidated condition.
Majid Shakoor, a 55-year-old resident of Saddar, says none of the lawmakers from the constituency has been able to solve the problems people face.
He also talks of the lack of a public park in his neighbourhood and the fact that only army families are permitted to enter parks in the cantonment. Even for regulation work requests, he says, staff at the cantonment offices have to be bribed.
“Older people in my area are not hopeful about a positive change ...Most of them do not want to vote. But the younger lot are pressing us to try PTI this time.”
Promises
At his corner meetings, Rafique says he will seek fresh delimitation of the cantonment. He says Rs3.5 billion was spent on various infrastructure projects in the area over his term. If elected, he says, he would solve the sewerage problems and complete the pending development works.
But some of the residents say they haven’t seen much development besides the roads leading to the airport.
Talking to The Express Tribune, Khan said there was a dire need for legislation in the Cantonment Act, 1924. He said since its introduction, no solid amendments had been made in the act to facilitate the civilians, who he said, were greater in number than army residents. He promises to make a new legislation for the cantonments if elected.
While Khan denies being inactive in the election campaigning, he admits he hasn’t been able to go door-to-door due to shortage of time.
“The PTI youth are taking care of that, while I am focusing on our weak areas.”
PP-155
PML-N’s Mian Naseer Ahmad and PTI’s Hafiz Farhat Abbas are leading the race for the provincial seat in PP-155. While Abbas hopes to give Ahmad “a tough time”, Ahmad is seen to be having an edge over his rival.
Thirty-nine candidates are running from this constituency. Of these, only eight are affiliated with political parties, while the rest are independent. PPP’s Ashraf Bhatti is rarely seen in person as well as through campaign banners and posters.
PP-156
PTI’s Ahsan Rasheed is predicted by many to beat his PML-N rival Yasin Sohail, who won the 2008 elections. As many as 31 candidates are running from this seat, of which only nine have party tickets.
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Published in The Express Tribune, May 10th, 2013.
COMMENTS (23)
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Hi, i am from this constituency NA-125 and will inshAllah vote for PTI 8 am tomorrow morning, I hope we win a seat from here and would be deeply disappointed if we don't.
Saad deserves to win,the best politician of lahore deserves a win
i live in this constituency and i can say for sure pti is going to win here with massive lead, most of people in this area are well educated and understand the need to bring pti in power, inshallah pti gonna win here for sure
I'm voting for PTI (Javed Hashmi) in Islamabad but had I been from NA-125, I would've voted for Khawaja Saad Rafique without a shred of doubt in my mind. He is one of the most respectable and sane politicians in Pakistan and deserves to be in the Parliament.
Hamid Khan is a founding member of PTI and should definitely win! :)
Saad Rafique will regret this time, PTI PTI.
PTI all the way this time as a resident of this area.
@ Iram To make right choice people need to remember how these status quo parties has destroyed our country...they need to hear the "TRUTH" not false praises for any fake leader who is a product of a military dictator. A true leader is one who lives and dies with his nation and does not flee to Jeedha in crunch time.Period
@fighter: Please do not use foul language for any party or leader. Use your passion to get support and vote for our party.
Hearing that Hafiz Farhat has forged ahead and if same is the case with Ahsan Rasheed They may well drag Hamid Khan to victory as well although his campaign has been weak and KSR has his own personal popularity. However I think in light of recent events this will be a constituency that goes to PTI. Would make me a bit sad though Khawaja Saad one of only two PMLN leaders I like.
PML(N) all the way. PTI will not get even a single seat from Lahore.
the heading gives impression that army favours candidate in the NA-125 which is my area too. Cantonment board is run by civilian like city district govt where some officers are CSP and other are civilians paid by defence budget. an army officer has to follow same procedures and diff which a civilian suffers. who is asking civlians to live in well managed areas of DHA and cantonment? why donot they live in LDA schemes
PTI would have its victory in NA125
I spent 10 hours solid today with pti TRs going door to door and arranging corner meetings for ahsan rashid. He did 8 meeings in 3 hours...all in the less affulent areas. And he has been doing this for the whole month. The evening ended with a jalsa in nishad colony. Pmln were hardly seen anywhere. In nishad colony they had 20 people outside thier camp.
Despite hamid khan not being as active, he will still give saad rafiq a tough fight. For both the pps pti candidates are very strong.
Wave is defnitely there...all day we've just been seeing cars with pti flags....outnumbeing cars with pml flags by 15 to 1.
Youth is defnitely with pti and they are charged up!
Civilian or Military... Keep Calm and Vote for Imran
Corrupt PML(Noora) is already a history
I have to admit the battle was very close in this area with me personally going door to door. However after Khan's fall, the tides have turned. I would say that it was a 50/50 battle before which has now turned to a 60/40 in favour of Tehreek-e-Insaf.
Civilians should appreciate being allowed to live near Army officers!
The PTI wave is over exaggerated. They will secure a lot of votes but not many seats. Little chance on NA-125.
Ch. Allah Daad It would be other way around this time.
I will consider it Khawaja Sahib's defeat, if his lead is less than twenty thousand votes.
I live in this area and from my experience, going door to door campaigning for PTI, I think PTI will win from here.