RAWALPINDI: The election in NA-60, Rawalpindi IV, was postponed after the decision of the Control of Narcotics Substances Court against Hanif Abbasi in the ephedrine case but the election in PP-16 and PP-17 will be conducted on schedule.

What affect will this have on the results of the elections in the two constituencies?

The main contest for the provincial assembly seats will be between PML-N and PTI candidates. In PP-16, PML-N’s Arslam Hafeez will be contesting against PTI’s Raja Rashid Hafeez and in PP-17, PML-N’s Raja Abdul Hanif will be contesting against PTI’s Fayyazul Hassan Chauhan.

Both the constituencies have 356,935 registered voters of whom 189,464 are men and 167,471 are women. A total of 329 polling stations have been established in the area and 20 candidates from PPP, PML-N, PTI, other parties and independent candidates will be contesting the 2018 elections.

There were 288,423 votes in 2013 in the area.

PML-N’s position is thought to be better in PP-17 due to the development works done in the area including the metro bus service, Rawalpindi Institute of Cardiology, parks and other facilities.

What affect will decision in ephedrine case have on elections in PP-16, PP-17?

PTI’s position is better in PP-16 due to biradri votes but after the court’s decision, PML-N workers and leaders have become more active in the area, focusing more on defeating the PTI in the elections.

A senior PTI leader told Dawn, said Imran Khan won the seat with more than 80,000 votes and that the party’s position was good in the area but the party chairman had decided to support Awami Muslim League leader Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

“Though party workers are not happy with the decision of launching Rashid Ahmed in the constituency, but they are working on the election campaigns of the party’s candidates for the provincial assembly,” he said.

He said Fayyazul Hassan Chohan was facing problems from a disgruntled group in the party after Nasarullah Khan was not given the party ticket.

For MPA Arif Abbasi is not supporting PTI candidates as he is running Sadaqat Abbasi in Murree, he said, and that the court decision will affect the results in the coming days.

PML-N City President Sardar Naseem told Dawn that workers are charged after the court decision and want to win the provincial assembly seats. The decision is a blessing in disguise for PML-N, he said.

“PML-N is gaining a lot of sympathy in the area and it is also having an effect in the nearby NA-62, where Sheikh Rashid Ahmed will be contesting as a joint PTI-AML candidate,” he said.

The perception that the caretaker government is favouring Sheikh Rashid will also improve PML-N’s position in the city and the party will maintain its stronghold of Rawalpindi, he added.

PPP has not fielded a string candidate in PP-16 and gave its ticket to Chaudhry Iftikhar who lost the 2013 elections from NA-55 with just 6,212 votes. The party does not have any candidate in PP-17.

Political analysts say the Tehreek-i-Labbaik Pakistan (TLP) will create problems for the main political parties, PML-N and PTI, in the area.

Supporters of Mumtaz Qadri in and around Sadiqabad are also against PML-N and they will play a major role in dividing the religious votes. They will support TLP and not PTI, they say.

Sources in the PPP said the party had not fielded a strong candidate because it wanted to support Sheikh Rashid in defeating the PML-N candidate. However, Information Secretary Nasir Mir refuted the claim and said the rumours were spread by Sheikh Rashid Ahmed.

Disgruntled PTI workers are starting to support PML-N and if this continues, the PML-N will have a chance to retain the seat won by the party in the 2013 elections.

Published in Dawn, July 24th, 2018