Mianwali constituency: Imran decides to vacate NA-71

Ayla Malik is likely to get the party ticket for by-elections as Imran withdraws.

ISLAMABAD:

The Pakistan Tahreek-e-Insaaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan has decided to withdraw from the National Assembly seat of his native town Mianwali NA-71, leaving the party in a fix to decide the candidate for the by-elections on the vacant seat.

Imran Khan and JUI-F chief Maulana Fazlur Rehman have won three National Assembly seats each in the May 11 election.

Though Khan had secured 132,283 votes and defeated Obaidullah Khan Shadikhel of Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) with a big margin, the PTI would have to field a strong candidate for the by-elections on the said seat, a party official in Mianwali told The Express Tribune.

After Imran Khan’s decision to withdraw from NA-71 Mianwali, the PTI leadership convened a meeting in Lahore to choose the next candidate from the constituency. There was no decision in this regard till late at night.

Party sources told The Express Tribune that there is likelihood that Ayla Malik would be given the party ticket to contest the by-elections. “There is no alternative candidate to Ayla Malik,” sources said.

Ayla Malik, granddaughter of Nawab of Kalabagh, who had run the campaign of PTI chief in NA-71 due to Imran Khan’s countrywide engagements, has emerged as a strong contender for the seat, sources said.

PML-N candidate, Shadikhel who had also served as District Nazim is a strong contender and has secured 72,859 votes.



Shadikhel had forged an alliance with the Rokhri tribe, his foes in Mianwali constituency, to counter the PTI’s slogan of change.

Shadikhel was routed in the faceoff with Imran Khan, but it would be difficult for an alternative candidate of PTI to defeat the Shadikhel-Rokhri alliance.

Since Ayla Malik had run the campaign for PTI chief and used her family’s influence, she can protect the seat for her party, sources said.

“If Imran Khan vacates Mianwali seat, the people will question us over the decision,” a party official from Mianwali told The Express Tribune. “People have gone against their families and they might be disappointed over Khan’s decision,” he added.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 16^th, 2013.