PTI chairman Imran Khan. PHOTO: AFP
RAWALPINDI:
If Hanif Abbasi, the former Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) representative from Rawalpindi, had any hopes of reclaiming his lost fortress through by elections, they were irrevocably smashed on Saturday. The Pakistan Tehreek-e Insaf (PTI) chief Imran Khan, who defeated Abbasi in the May 11 elections, decided to retain his Rawalpindi National Assembly (NA) seat.
Khan had bagged three seats on polling day: NA-1 Peshawar, NA-71 Mianwali and NA-56 Rawalpindi, losing only from an NA seat in Lahore. After deliberations, the party, and Khan, decided to keep NA-56 as they feel it is the most insecure seat out of the lot with Rawalpindi being a PML-N stronghold.
Khan had defeated Abbasi, who had won this constituency twice before, by securing 80,577 votes. In a shocking turn of events, Rawalpindi, an age old PML-N stronghold, gave PTI six provincial and one NA seat and witnessed a strong challenge on the remaining ones.
PTI insiders told The Express Tribune that after wining this seat, Khan was asked not to vacate it as party high-ups feared the PML-N might reclaim it in the by-elections. The local leadership of the party played a vital role to convince the party chief, who believed it was important to maintain their ingress in the ‘lion’s den’.
After hearing of Khan’s decision, residents of this constituency were pleased and suggested that he contest the 2018 elections from NA-56 as well. “I’m happy that Imran Khan has decided to keep this seat and shown his trust in voters and I wish he would contest every election from my constituency,” said Tahir Abbasi, a resident of NA-56.
Muhammad Adeel, another local, appreciated the decision and termed it a victory for all of NA-56. “Now we will never disappoint Khan as he upheld our honor,” said Adeel.
According to sources, Awami Muslim League chief Sheikh Rashid, who won NA-55 general elections with the support of PTI, had also convinced Khan to retain his Rawalpindi seat as it was the most important win.
PTI Rawalpindi President Arif Abbasi confirmed Khan’s decision to retain NA-56 and claimed it was taken because the people of this constituency trusted Khan.
However, he ruled out the impression that it would be difficult for the party to retain this seat in a possible by-election. “We could not hold a huge gathering before the election but will now invite Imran Khan to this constituency,’’ he added.
Political observers believe that this is a prudent decision as it would have been very difficult to retain the seat in the even of by-elections as the PML-N has a majority government in Punjab as well as in the centre.
Published in The Express Tribune, June 2nd, 2013.
COMMENTS (11)
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@Saif Your language proves that you are a PTI troll talking in the air without any concrete evidence. If you have any proof, go file it in the Court. Else, stop this mudslinging! Vast majority of Pakistanis have rejected Imran Khan's negative politics. Imran Khan has always been condemning Sheikh Rasheed throughout his political career but has now embraced him for the sake of a seat in the National Assembly. Most of his MNAs (Makhdooms of Multan, Shafqat Mahmood, Ghulam Sarwar Khan, Sh Rasheed) have been part & parcel of the system that Allama Imran has been condemning & pronounced to change! Pervez Khattak has switched loyalties 4 times in the past, swinging from PPP to Sherpao to ANP but PTI has appointed him Chief Minister KPK. Pouring salt to injuries, Khattak has got his 3 family members elected on reserved seats for women in KPK Assembly. . @ Yasser May I please remind you to read the background of Ghulam Sarwar Khan, former "status quo" Minister under General Musharraf's cabinet?
@Muslim Leaguer: See you in 2018. :-)
@Muslim Leaguer: You are a fool of the highest nature. It's because of people like you that Pakistan is in such a mess. You don't look at politics as a way of improving the lives of the people the country and future generations to come, you look at as a sport where you support one side and not matter how corrupt that side becomes you will support it to death. Pakistan is the only Country in the world where corrupt leaders get elected again again. Zardari and Sharif are both billionaires yet outside Pakistan no one knows where and how they made their money. Never ever read an article talking about Nawaz built his business.
Both of these leaders are not business people they are crooks who use businesses that do not make any money but instead are used to launder money. This is classic criminal activity and you vote for people like that.
Not a bad choice. PTI has a greater probability of winning back the seats vacated by Khan in Peshawar and Mianwali. If PTI want to challenge PMLN in Punjab they will have to do something outstanding in Pindi to prove a point. With Sh. Rasheed the local boy winning his constituency backed by NA53 and NA56 victories of PTI they now have a platform of achieving significant results which will boost their reputation in general.
Yes. Mr. Jahangir Amin rightly said that PTI won 2 seats from Rawalpindi division i.e. NA-53 where Ghulam Sarwar Khan sb of PTI won by defeating Chaudry Nisar Ali Khan of PMLN by 8000 votes. He got 110000+ votes as compared to Nisar's 102000+ votes. This is the second time Sarwar Khan defeated Nisar Khan in recent three encounters where Sarwar Khan won in 2003 as an independent, lost in 2008 and again won this time i.e. 2013.
@Muslim Leaguer: Sour grapes!
@muslimleaguer "victory was just a fluke"
How much more absurd can you get ?
Khan is too scared of Abbassi. All those who have won on multiple seats have vacated their seats other than their home towns. But Khan & his trolls know that the victory was just a fluke and are sure that they will lose it in case of re-election!
For your kind information, PTI bagged two NA seats from Rawalpindi, NA 53 and NA 56