Tilting balance: Traders announce support for PTI candidate in NA-1

Upon assurance of facilities from govt, independent candidate withdraws from by-election.

PESHAWAR:

Traders in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s (K-P) business hub Peshawar have announced their support for Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) candidate Gul Bacha after an independent candidate Abdullah decided to withdraw from the race.

Abdullah, who is the president of Sarafa Association, decided against contesting from NA-1 after the PTI leadership ensured traders they will address all issues, including that of encroachment, price control and law and order.

PTI Peshawar district president and Advisor to Chief Minister Yasin Khalil, Chairman Traders’ Union Ihsan Elahi and General Secretary Zafar Khattak were also present at the briefing.

While promising to facilitate traders, Khalil said: “The previous government’s obliviousness to traders’ problems is still remembered. But for us, it’s not our power but people who are important and we want to serve them.”

Elahi also confirmed traders’ support for PTI in the by-elections scheduled for August 22 and denied that any extortion money had been demanded from them since the PTI-led coalition government has come into power.

“Security is our primary concern these days as certain incidents have occurred with traders, particularly in Sarafa Bazaar, which is why we are looking forward to PTI for a solution,” he said.

Gul Bacha, PTI’s candidate for NA-1, while replying to a question, denied the rumour being spread about him that he is not a Pakistani national. “I have no other nationality but that of Pakistan,” he emphasised.

Published in The Express Tribune, August 18^th, 2013.