HARIPUR: The Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf is emerging as an unchallengeable electoral force in the local government elections owing to the fallow engagements of its rival political parties in the district.

Though PTI has awarded tickets for various levels of civic councils to the turncoats and new entrants, its rival parties stand nowhere in the race. The Pakistan People’s Party, which has faced the worst sort of victimisation, has failed to rally its force in any part of the district. The PML-N is trying to bag maximum seats from Ghazi tehsil where it has fielded strong candidates in some of the union councils. Here PTI and PML-N are engaged in tough competition. If PML-N wins five or six seats, it will be in a position to form tehsil municipal administration.

In Haripur, local political groups are active in covert and overt alliances. They think that PTI can be countered in district council only through tehsil councils. Former provincial minister Qazi Mohammad Asad and sitting MP Gohar Nawaz, in league with some independent groups, are focusing on tehsil seats. Qazi Asad, however, is also actively campaigning for district nominees of his local group.

Parties focus on tehsil seats in LG elections

On two district council seats, in Northern Union Council, Haripur, and Rehana Union Council, the PTI has not fielded candidates. Shahid Amin Khan, from northern city area and Riaz Khan from Rehana, are independent candidates, but they have been enjoying PTI support from day one. Both are supporter of Omar Ayub Khan, who at present is with the PML-N. But here a local alliance under the banner of Chatan (rock) Ittehad has fielded its own candidates, Chaudhry Mohammad Dad and Rafique Jadoon, who could pose a tough challenge to their rival candidates. 

Despite apolitical appearance, most of the PTI candidates running for the district council slots are not facing much trouble and may win easily. The question is when all the heavyweights in district council will turn up who will be heading the team. Raja Aamer Zaman, who had lost his National Assembly seat to Omar Ayub at a legal ground, is also active in his native area. He is said to have fielded his own candidates from the PTI platform in every union council. His younger brother, Faisal Zaman Khan MPA, is siding with his own group under the banner of PML-N.

The vernacular press, however, has muddied the political scenario through advertisements. Every candidate, who issues advertisement, thinks he/she has won the race. Mediapersons’ consorting with politicians and candidates has also blurred the political situation. In some areas it is carnival-like situation. For some, it is a kind of entertainment, not politics. Demon of biradriism (caste-based system) has overpowered the political ideology and programmes. Turncoats are more active than political workers.

Published in Dawn, May 23rd, 2015

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