CHINIOT: Electioneering has been accelerated in both the National Assembly constituencies of Chiniot after finalization of nominations and award of ticket by the main parties to their candidates. However, the award of party tickets has exposed fissures in two parties, i.e., PML-N and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) in at least NA-100 (Chiniot II) which consists of Chiniot city and all the rural areas of tehsil Chiniot and some areas of tehsil Bhowana. Though 13 candidates have filed their nomination papers from this constituency, the competition is expected between four traditional rivals who were in the run in the last election also.

Qaisar Ahmad Sheikh, an industrialist belonging to Sheikh community and a PML-N candidate, was elected MNA in 1997 and 2013. He had got 74,000 votes against his nearest rival Zulfiqar Ali Shah of the PPP who had secured about 44,000 votes.

Qaisar and his family have got a great respect in the Sheikh community as well as the city due to their development projects of infrastructure, gas and electricity. He is being considered as a powerful candidate.

Sheikh Qaisar Mehmood, a Japan-based businessman and a leader of overseas wing of the PML-N, has revolted against the party decision to award a ticket to his namesake once again. He has announced to contest the election against his party nominee. He claims to have support of the PML-N workers who were not happy with the leadership’s decision.

Mr Mehmood contested the 2013 election as an independent candidate and got some 18,000 votes. However, he continued liaison with the people of this constituency and he may damage the vote bank of the PML-N as he has made inroad into the party.

Zulfiqar Ali Shah is son of veteran politician Muhammad Ali Shah. His family has been in politics for decades and enjoyed a significant position in the local politics since long. He remained tehsil nazim of Chiniot from 2001 to 2009 till the local government system was wrapped up by Shahbaz Shareef. Zulfiqar contributed to the development of Chiniot tehsil and brought solid waste management project in collaboration with the World Bank. He was in PML-Q from 2001 till 2009 and then got ticket of the PPP in 2013 election when he got about 44,000 votes. He joined the PTI recently and the party has nominated him as its candidate for NA-100.

The party leader and an aspirant for this seat, Syed Inayat Ali Shah, revolted against the party’s decision and quit the PTI along with dozens of party workers. He rejoined the PPP and announced to contest election against PTI candidate on PPP ticket. Inayat was elected as an MNA in 2008 election on the PPP ticket but he shifted to the PTI in 2013 and got its ticket. He had given Imran Khan a gold bat worth Rs7m as a gift on his visit to Chiniot. He could not give a good performance in the last general election and got just 19,000 votes.

Inayat stuck to the PTI during the party sit-in in Islamabad and other public gatherings. But he could not get party ticket as PTI preferred an electable (Zulfiqar Ali Shah) over the party loyalist. Now he has left the PTI along his supporters and party workers joined the PPP. He is trying to get a ticket of the party now. He called on PPP president Asif Ali Zardari in Islamabad who assured him of the party ticket for this election. Meanwhile, Inayat Ali Shah has sped up his election campaign in the district and is likely to get the PPP ticket.

Published in Dawn, June 25th, 2018