By-polls: Who will PK-50 vote for?

PTI’s Akbar Ayub and independent candidate Babar Nawaz are expected to give PML-N’s Qazi Asad a tough competition.

HARIPUR:

With the elections just a day away, candidates have pulled out the big guns by trying to win the hearts and votes of people who are either annoyed with the other candidates or remain undecided.

Candidates have done everything from arranging public rallies with influential political figures, including Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf’s (PTI) Imran Khan and Awami Muslim League’s Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad who spoke in favour of their candidate – Akbar Ayub Khan. On the other hand, National Assembly’s deputy speaker, Ayub Afridi, and MPA Aurangzeb Nalotha of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) sided with their party’s candidate – Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan.



Following the disqualification of former PTI MPA, Yusuf Ayub Khan, by the apex court on account of a fake degree, it was decided that the votes for PK-50 would be cast on January 23.



There are seven candidates running head to head, including independent candidate Babar Nawaz Khan, Qazi Muhammad Asad Khan from PML-N, PTI’s Akbar Ayub Khan, Awami National Party’s Irum Fatima, Pakistan Peoples Party’s Tahir Qureshi and independent candidates, Shehryar Khan Tareen and Shakeel Ahmed.

Getting to know the candidates

Out of these seven, Qazi Asad has served as a provincial minister from 2008 to 2013 after joining the ANP following his win against Arshad Ayub Khan – the grandson of military ruler Ayub Khan. In 2002, Qazi Asad defeated Yusuf Ayub as an independent candidate and later joined the Pakistan Muslim League-Quaid. He lost to Yusuf Ayub by a margin of 2,000 votes in the May 2013 elections.



In 1988, Yusuf Ayub served in Aftab Sherpao’s cabinet and then served in Mehtab Ahmed Abbasi’s cabinet as local bodies minister from 1997 to 1999. He also served as district nazim from 2005 to 2009 while PPP’s Tahir Qureshi was the chairperson of the Haripur municipal committee during the 1980s. Although Qureshi never won the election, he has contested for NA-19 and PK-50 before. Shehryar Khan, a stalwart of the Tareen family, is also a former union nazim.



New kids on the block

Yusuf Ayub’s younger brother, Akbar Ayub, social activist Irum Fatima and Babar Nawaz Khan are new to the vote banks and parliamentary politics. Akbar Ayub and Babar are expected to give Qazi Asad a tough competition. Observers expect to see an interesting match between the three men.

What the grapevine says

According to political analysts, Qazi Asad defeated the Ayubs twice – once in 2002 and then again in 2008. He is known for completing successful development projects in the area, including Haripur University, four women’s colleges, roads, water supply schemes and appointing over 200 people in the education department during his constituency.



The younger Ayub might be new to the political arena but relies on his brother’s vote bank and political influence. Yusuf is also known for several development projects in PK-50.

Independent candidate Babar Nawaz is the son of assassinated ANP MPA and former minister for transport Akhtar Nawaz Khan. Although Babar Nawaz is a resident of Khalabat Township which falls under PK-51, he is depending on his father’s connections and vote bank. He is also relying on his uncle, PK-51 MPA Gohar Nawaz Khan’s support. Political analysts believe that Babar Nawaz has created a place for himself in an area ruled by the Tareen family for more than six decades.



While a family feud claimed the life of his father and a dozen others, Babar Nawaz is becoming a challenge for the other contenders. People who used to support Yusuf Ayub and Qazi Asad have jumped ship and are now arranging public meetings for the young Babar Nawaz as they feel both men have failed to live up to the expectations of those who voted them in.



Another political analyst predicted a low voter turnout will lead to Babar Nawaz’s victory as he is mostly likely to draw a high number of voters to the polling stations.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 22^nd, 2014.