A different election: What’s in a name is less than what it was before

This electoral round saw the downfall of many a prominent figure and family.

ISLAMABAD:

The 2013 polls were historic, if for nothing else than for the upsets witnessed, especially in Punjab and Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa. 

According to unofficial results, it seems like, for the first time ever, political dynasties were unable to fully dictate the course the polls took. Many a prominent politician and family finally saw defeat, up close and personal.

Startling shakeups

The first major upset struck Peshawar’s NA-1, where former railways minister and Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Ghulam Ahmed Bilour lost to Pakistan Tehrik-e-Insaf chief Imran Khan.

This constituency was believed to be a bastion of the Bilour family, and Bilour conceded defeat even before the results came in.

“People are not satisfied with the politicians in power and they want change,” he said. “They have rejected us and expressed confidence in the PTI … I congratulate Imran Khan.

Exceptionally still, the same occurred in NA-2, where Awami National Party (ANP) candidate Arbab Najeebullah Khan, was defeated by PTI’s Engineer Hamidul Haq.

Another shake-up occurred in NA-51, Gujjar Khan. Despite spending billions of rupees on development projects, former prime minister Raja Pervez Ashraf was trounced by Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) candidate Raja Mohammad Javed Ikhlas.

Raja had won this seat in 2002 and 2008.

Furthermore, despite their political lineage, the three sons of former premier Yousuf Raza Gilani could not win the seats they contested. Abdul Qadir Gilani lost in NA-151, Multan; Ali Musa Gilani lost in NA-148, Multan; and Ali Haider Gilani lost in PP-200, Multan. Yousuf’s brother, Ahmed Mujtaba Gilani, also lost his NA-152 seat.

In another twist, former foreign minister, PTI heavyweight Shah Mehmood Qureshi, lost two constituencies in Sindh and one in Punjab, but won NA-150, Multan.

A string of shuffles

Further unexpected, unofficial results revealed that PML-N’s Amir Muqam lost the NA-30 Swat seat to PTI’s Saleem Rehman. Similarly, Sardar Mehtab Abbasi of PML-N was defeated in NA-17, Abbottabad.

In the same vein, PPP heavyweight Firdous Ashiq Awan lost NA-110 and NA-111, Sialkot, and former chairman of the Public Accounts Committee, Nadeem Afzal Chan, could not claim NA-64.



Independent candidate Jamshed Dasti battled two prominent leaders – PPP’s Ghulam Rabbani Khar and PTI’s Nawabzada Iftekhar – for NA-177 and NA-178, Muzaffargarh. Dasti emerged victorious on both.

After a long wait, senior politician Sheikh Rasheed Ahmed re-captured his position in his hometown constituency, NA-55 Rawalpindi. Conversely, ANP chief Asfandyar Wali Khan lost his seat in NA-7, Charsaddah.

Outgoing deputy prime minister and Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid (PML-Q) President Chaudhry Pervez Elahi staved off unexpectedly stiff competition to win in NA-105 Gujarat II against a PML-N competitor.

Muttahida Quami Movement candidate, who recently jumped ship from the PPP won NA-246 Karachi. Jamaat-e-Islami’s Rashid Naseem was defeated.

Senior leaders of PPP in Punjab, Qamar Zaman Kaira and Ahmed Mukhtar, were vanquished in NA 106 and NA-105 respectively. Well known party-mate Manzoor Wattoo was also politically routed.

Moreover, Jhang’s stalwart politician, Faisal Saleh Hayat, was whitewashed in NA-87, while PML-N’s Sheikh Muhammad Akram defeated Maulana Muhammad Ahmad Ludhianvi on NA-89.

Seasoned politician, PML-N’s Liaquat Jatoi, was also defeated in the polls, although he did win a National Assembly seat from Multan.

Chaudhry Anwar Ali Cheema, a veteran politician who has been winning elections since 1985, ran out of luck this time. Correspondingly, Khurshid Kasuri and Sardar Assef Ahmed Ali also saw their own political downfalls during this electoral round.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 13^th, 2013.

Correction: An earlier version of the article incorrectly stated that Arbab Najeebullah Khan was PPP's candidate. The error is regretted.