Candidates for LG polls: Manoeuvring ends with issuance of final list

Details of political contenders will be released today

ISLAMABAD:

The Election Commission of Pakistan (ECP) late on Wednesday night published final list of candidates putting an end to months’ long political manoeuvring and struggle of workers of various political parties to obtain tickets to contest upcoming local body elections in Islamabad.

Majority of the activists, who are not awarded party tickets, despite their utmost efforts and lobbying, preferred to withdraw their candidature in favour of their respective party’s nominated candidates, while the rest announced to participate in the elections as independents.

The ECP will officially release the details of the candidates today (Thursday) who will contest the elections on November 30, said District Election Commissioner (DEC) Chaudhry Aleem.

Until filing of this report, the office of the DEC received lists of candidates from four of the 10 returning officers.

According to the lists obtained from the secretariats of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI), both the parties have fielded their candidates in almost all the 50 union councils of the federal capital.



The PTI has fielded complete panels in 48 union councils. Malpur and Sihala UCs have been left open on demand of the party workers.

Similarly, a 13-member parliamentary board of the PML-N announced its candidates for 49 UCs, leaving Sarai Kharbuza Union Council open.

However, the Pakistan People’s Party (PPP) has struggled to find candidates to fill its electoral lists. The probable aspirants in most of the union councils appeared reluctant to request for party tickets due to eroding support for the PPP among the residents. Absence of the Islamabad PPP President, Faisal Sakhi Butt, who is currently in Dubai, speaks of the lack of interest among party ranks towards the polls.

Differences within PML-N

The differences over the award of party tickets landed the PML-N in an embarrassing situation on Wednesday.

The party’s local chapter secretary-general Shujaur Rehman, Chaudhry Ashraf Gujjar and other party leaders addressed a joint press conference at the National Press Club, accusing National Assembly Member Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and others of patronising criminals and awarding tickets to land mafia representatives.



Gujjar said that a handful of opportunists, who earned money through corrupt practices, had taken over the party.

He said that criminals were given party tickets, as they were near and dear to the incumbent corrupt leadership.

“I approached the top leadership against the unjust decisions of the parliamentary board but no one paid heed,” Gujjar said.

He accused that the criterion adopted by the PML-N board to award tickets was “simple”, the biggest land grabber of an area was given ticket for chairman of the UC, while smaller land grabbers were given tickets for general members.

Gujjar said that Tariq Fazal Chaudhry and Anjum Aqeel had broken all previous records of favouritism and nepotism by awarding tickets to their relatives.

He also accused Chaudhry of harbouring a force of criminals, majority of them Afghan nationals, to enforce his “corrupt political agenda” in the city. “This force is involved in grabbing prime state land,” Gujjar alleged.

He requested the interior minister to investigate the “crimes of Fazal” through the Federal Investigation Agency.

Published in The Express Tribune, November 12^th, 2015.