MULTAN: Like many other parts of Punjab, Multan’s NA-155 is going to have a close contest between Malik Aamir Dogar of the Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) and Sheikh Tariq Rasheed of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N).

The only issue for the PTI in this urban constituency is a lack of support by local leaders.

In the 2008 elections, Mr Rasheed as the PML-N candidate won the constituency (previously NA-149) by defeating Malik Liaquat Ali Dogar, an uncle of Amir Dogar, of the PPP. Five years later, it was PTI President Javed Hashmi who won the seat by obtaining 83,569 votes against Mr Rasheed who got 73,861 votes. Aamir Dogar who contested on the PPP ticket chipped in with 20,703 votes.

In 2014, a bye-election was held after Mr Hashmi resigned from the constituency following differences with party chairman Imran Khan. Mr Dogar backed by the PTI and Mr Hashmi who had the PML-N support contested as independent candidates and the former emerged victorious by getting 52,321 votes against the latter who got 38,391 votes.

Political circles are of the view that back then Mr Rasheed was not happy over the party’s decision of supporting Mr Hashmi and not awarding its ticket to him and he did not put his weight behind Mr Hashmi for his success.

This time round the PML-N workers seem to be running the campaign of Mr Rasheed more enthusiastically than the PTI workers’ efforts for their party. Many PTI workers expressed their unhappiness over the distribution of tickets for the national as well as provincial constituencies.

PTI city president Dr Khalid Khakwani who recently resigned from his party membership and position is contesting election against Mr Dogar as an independent candidate. He is being backed by the PPP that has not fielded its candidate in the constituency and is making efforts to attract the Seraiki-speaking vote.

Similarly, PTI district president Ejaz Janjua announced that he would oppose Mr Dogar in the contest though he still is associated with the party. Mr Janjua was willing to contest the by-election (2014) and was told that he would be accommodated in the general election so he should not oppose the nomination of Mr Dogar as party candidate.

He complained that after the election process started he contacted party’s Vice Chairman Shah Mahmood Qureshi and expressed his desire to contest the election on this constituency but Mr Qureshi suggested that he should contest election from PP-216 as the party will award its ticket to sitting MNA Mr Dogar.

He, along other aspirants for various constituencies, announced that they would oppose the party candidates in NA-155, PP-211, PP-212 and PP-216 after the party did not award tickets to them. The PTI awarded its ticket for PP-216 to Nadim Qureshi instead of Mr Janjua.

Apparently Mr Dogar and Nadim Qureshi are lacking the support of the local leadership and active workers, while another potential political figure of PP-216 Aslam Saeed Qureshi has also dissociated himself from the campaign.

Aslam Saeed Qureshi has a sizeable vote bank in Qureshi family in the areas where settlers are in a strong position. His father Saeed Qureshi lost the seat to Haji Ehsan Qureshi of the PML-N by hardly a couple of hundred votes on a PTI ticket in the 2013 general election. Aslam Qureshi said he was opposing party candidate for PP-216 but he would support Mr Dogar.

Shakeel Labar is the PPP candidate for PP-216 and he is running his campaign mainly focusing on the Seraiki-speaking areas by using Seraiki card as both the PML-N and PTI candidates are settlers.

Despite all the opposition from party’s local leadership, the PTI enjoys a sizeable support in the constituency especially from the Seraiki areas where Mr Dogar has more influence compared to his opponent due to his friendly attitude. He is also expected to get swing votes as well. Political circles acknowledge the skills of Dogar group to contest election more effectively.

Asif Rajwana, son of Governor Malik Rafique Rajwana, is the PML-N candidate for PP-214 -- a constituency that mainly consists of the Seraiki-speaking area. He is making all-out efforts to win the Seraiki vote for Mr Rasheed as well.

Mr Rasheed has advantage over his opponent in the areas where the settlers are residing particularly in the Walled City where Qureshi and Sheikh families have a significant vote bank.

Former MPA Shahid Mehmood Khan parted with the PTI and rejoined the PML-N and is now running an aggressive campaign against the party he recently left.

Published in Dawn, July 21st, 2018