Third time unlucky: Nisar loses after ECP’s recount in PP-7 Rawalpindi

PTI candidate Muhammad Siddique Khan declared winner in PP-7 Rawalpindi.

ISLAMABAD:

Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz’s Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan’s dream of becoming the Chief Minister of Punjab was shattered when, after the third recount of the votes, the Election Commission of Pakistan declared Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf’s candidate Muhammad Siddique Khan the winner from PP-7 Rawalpindi. The ECP’s initial count declared Nisar a winner with 48109 votes compared to Siddique’s 47795 votes.

Nisar reportedly contested for this provincial seat with the ultimate ambition of becoming the chief minister of Punjab, as former CM Shahbaz Sharif hinted during his campaign that he was eyeing the Ministry of water and power with the aim of solving the power crisis in the country.

However, after the elections it is apparent that Lahore is still vital for the PML-N and the Sharif brothers don’t want to lose control of their hometown. Therefore it is likely that Shahbaz Sharif will be appointed Chief Minister of Punjab even though Chaudhry Nisar had aspired to this slot. In any case, without a provincial assembly seat to his name, Nisar is out of the running.

There was another victory for the PTI camp when their candidate Ghulam Sarwar Khan defeated Chaudhry Nisar on his home turf of NA-53 Taxila. This defeat was a serious blow to Chaudhry Nisar’s track record as an undefeated politician since 1985. However, Nisar did manage to grab a seat in the National Assembly by winning from another constituency NA-52 Rawalpindi 3.

According to PML-N sources, a lobby within the party has serious concerns over Nisar’s role in distributing party tickets in the Rawalpindi division, where PML-N lost some key constituencies including NA55, 56 and 52 along with many provincial assembly seats.

Rawalpindi was considered ‘mini-Raiwind’ due to its status as a stronghold of he PML-N, even in times when the Sharif family was on the ropes.

Published in The Express Tribune, May 17^th, 2013.