New beginning: PTI proves itself a force to reckon with

Imran’s party secures convincing win in K-P.

ISLAMABAD:

Imran Khan may not have swept the 2013 elections, his Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf proved itself to be a force to reckon with by securing a sizeable number of seats for the National Assembly.

Imran’s party secured a convincing win in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, the bastion of Awami National Party, in an election that some analysts predicted would have been an easy ride for Nawaz Sharif’s PML-N, according to unofficial results.

However, PTI which enjoyed popularity in urban areas, failed to make inroads into Sindh and Balochistan. In terms of votes, the PTI appeared to be the second largest party after PML-N. The party was running neck and neck with the PPP in the elections.

Imran Khan, who was contesting from four constituencies, comfortably won from Peshawar and Mianwali. He lost from NA-122 to a PML-N candidate by a narrow margin. The results of NA-56 were still being compiled till filing of this report.

Analysts have seen the victory as a refreshing change from the dynastic politicians who long relied on a patronage system to win votes. Besides Imran, his deputy Makhdoom Hashmi won the National Assembly seat from Islamabad.  Jahangir Tareen was also leading in NA-154. Similarly Ghulam Sarwar Khan was also leading in NA-53 against PML-N’s Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan till late night. Hamidul Haq also won from NA-2 against a very strong candidate of PPP Arbab Alamgir.

PTI leader Asad Umer said his party fought a political battle against PML-N in the country’s most populous province Punjab. “It’s a great day for Pakistan’s democracy and a great day for PTI which emerged as the second largest national party and the largest party in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa,” he told The Express Tribune.

Dr Shireen Mazari, PTI’s Central Information Secretary, said her party would not form an alliance with any political party. “Despite all the challenges witnessed in the general elections, PTI supporters will remain steadfast in their vision for a ‘Naya Pakistan’,” she added.

Other PTI leaders, including Shafqat Mehmood and Dr Arif Alvi, alleged that the elections were rigged in some constituencies in Lahore and Karachi. Polling staff was not announcing results in three constituencies of Lahore where PTI candidates were leading, Mehmood told journalists. Same complaints were made by Dr Alvi in Karachi against MQM.

Imran Khan had formed PTI in 1996. His party had won only one seat in 200o. Imran resigned from Parliament in 2002 in protest and boycotted the 2008 elections.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 12^th, 2013.