Kareem Block: JI candidate hopes revised de-limitation will improve his chances

LAHORE:

Jamaat-i-Islami (JI) candidate for chairman Asim Shafiq Sheikh is hopeful that removal of some rural areas from the Union Council No215 (Allama Iqbal Town) in the revised de-limitation will improve his chances on October 31.

He says Shah Di Khooi and Bhekawal, two rural neighbourhoods, have been removed from the UC in the revised de-limitations by the Election Commission of Pakistan earlier in the year.

Sheikh, a candidate for nazim in 2001 and 2005, says his votes in polling stations at these two areas had trailed behind his rival by a huge margin. “I was leading in all other areas. The results of these two rural neighbourhoods led to my defeat. Thank God! This time these villages are no longer a part of the constituency.” UC 215 includes lower-middle and middle-income households in Nishtar, Mehran, Karim, Ravi and Kamran Blocks of Allama Iqbal Town.

Both Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PMLN) and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) have fielded tried and tested candidates who have won elections in the past.

The PML-N has fielded Capt (r) Mubashir Ahmad Farooqi and Chaudhry Kashif Hanif for chairman and vice-chairman, respectively.

Hanif says he has been a deputy nazim in the area. About his running mate, he says he does not know him very well. “He is my father’s friend and they have a business partnership. That’s all I know about him,” he says.

Hanif says because most voters in his constituency are educated they are likely to elect those who have a track record of good performance. “There aren’t many major issues in the area. Some roads need repairs. Water filtration plants have to be installed in some areas too,” he says.

Farooqi was unavailable for comment.

The PTI has fielded Muhammad Azmat Chaudhry, who was elected nazim in 2005, for chairmanship and Mansoor Amin for vice chairmanship. They say crime rate in the area has seen a surge and they will work with the police to control it.

Residents mention lack of potable water, poor public hygiene, faulty street-lights and broken roads as their major problems.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 29^th, 2015.