Samanabad: N-League candidate ‘more popular’

Mian Muhammad Tariq is a former advisor to chief minister

LAHORE: The Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) seems to have an edge over the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in Union Council 83.

Mian Muhammad Tariq, formerly a political adviser to the chief minister, and Iqbal Khan are running for chairman and vice chairman on PML-N tickets.

The PTI has fielded Yasir Ayub for chairman and Ishfaq Tipu for vice chairman.

The UC lies in NA 122 where Sardar Ayaz Sadiq was recently re-elected MNA on a PML-N ticket. Nearly 16,000 voters are registered in the UC that consists of New Mozang, Samanabad and Bahawalpur House.

“The PML-N will win the UC. Tariq is well-known in the area,” says Aftab Ahmad, a resident of the area.

He says Tariq had played his role in addressing people’s problems.

“He arranged a big rally during the recent by-elections in NA-122 which was addressed among others by MNA Hamza Shahbaz.”

PTI supporters, meanwhile, said the party was all set to stage an upset. “While Yasir Ayub is not as popular as Tariq, the PTI’s performance in the by-polls is a proof that things are changing,” says Sajid Butt, a PTI supporter.

A major complaint in the area is about scarcity of safe drinking water, which has bothered citizens for years.

“Water supplied by the WASA is not safe for drinking. People will vote for those who provide them safe water,” says Muhstaq Ahmad, another resident of the UC.

The main road in New Mozang also needs a repair.

“Traffic on the road remains slow and rainwater enters our shops and houses whenever it rains,” says Muhammad Hanif, a shopkeeper.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 26^th, 2015.