Chaudhry Muhammad Siddique Mehar, a businessman, who defected from the PPP after losing the NA election in 2013, is PTI’s NA-81 (Gujranwala-III) candidate. He believes that the district is no more a stronghold of the PML-N. He says the PML-N members of the assemblies had failed utterly to serve the masses and the people were now compelled to opt for Imran Khan and his party.
Mr Mehar says the PML-N representatives’ ‘hallmark performance’ can be summed up by a look around at Gujrawnala city. “There are piles of garbage on city roads,” he tells Dawn. “The air is polluted by the burning of garbage. The health and education facilities are inadequate and the people are without safe drinking water. This is debilitating the people physically and economically.”
These are not the best of times for the PML-N, acknowledged some of those who were asked to comment on the election campaign so far. A man who identified himself as a N-Leaguer said it will not reflect well on the PTI if it failed to cash in on the situation.
But all is not ideal in the PTI camp as well. The party is faced with internal rift. PTI Gujrwanwala district president Rana Naeemur Rehman outrightly slams the award of the party ticket from NA-80 (Gujranwala-II) to newcomer Mian Tariq Mahmood (who defected from the PML-N).
Mr Rehman was candid in his statement: “Why should my workers and I support a candidate against whom we had struggled during the past five years? Just a couple of months ago, Tariq Mahmood was found literally scolding Imran Khan. Here he is contesting on a PTI ticket.”
Blaming the ‘blunder’ on “fraud” party surveys, the angry PTI office-bearer says he “will wait for July 25 to see who votes for this candidate who is not even clean.” Having said that Rana Naeemur Rehman will continue to work for the party ‘with a heavy heart’ waiting for the day when he will be able to effectively convey to Imran Khan the sense of injustice he felt over the grant of the ticket to Mr Mahmood.
Among others who have been denied the PTI ticket is former PPP Punjab president Imtiaz Safdar Warraich, who joined the PTI last year. While the loss of one NA seat in the district after fresh delimitation may be the one reason for this denial, it has reportedly left Mr Warraich frustrated and he is now planning to contest the election as an independent.
Besides the PTI and PML-N, the Mutahida Majlis-i-Amal has fielded candidates from most of the national and provincial assembly constituencies. A relatively new party “Aam Log Party” has also fielded its candidates from three national and four provincial assembly seats. It says the elite can neither understand nor resolve problems of the poor masses. Party chairman Nasim Sadiq says the party campaigning with the slogan “Common people to serve common people”.
The stage is set for electioneering and the caretaker government is eager to ensure that the election code of conduct is not violated. The district returning officer as well as the commissioner and the deputy commissioner have explained to all parties and candidates the code of conduct is to be strictly adhered to. “Follow the code of conduct, or the law will take its course,” a clear warning was issued along with an assurance that every genuine complaint will be addressed.
Published in Dawn, June 29th, 2018