Daily Times

ISLAMABAD: As the five-year tenure of the Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) government came to an end on Thursday night, members of different political parties have started lobbying to secure tickets for three National Assembly constituencies  – NA-52, NA-53 and NA-54 – of the federal capital for the upcoming general elections.

The major contest, however, is expected among candidates of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI), Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and Pakistan Peoples’ Party (PPP). Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) is another party which secured a fair number of votes in the 2013 general elections on National Assembly seats in the federal capital.

Before population census 2017, there were two seats of National Assembly in the capital – NA-48 and NA-49. However, after the census, the Election Commission of Pakistan added one more seat to the capital – NA-52 – keeping in view increase of two million in the population. The NA-48 and NA-49 also have been split into NA-53 and NA-54.

According to the available information, Dr Tariq Fazal Chauhdry, who was federal minister in the PML-N regime, is most likely to secure ticket from his party in NA-52 constituency. Chauhdry Ilyas Mehrban and Haji Mustafa Nawaz Khokar are hopeful of getting tickets from PTI and PPP respectively in the same constituency.

Dr Tariq Fazal Chauhdry had defeated Chauhdry Ilyas Mehrban in the 2013 general elections in NA-49 constituency (now split into NA-52 and NA-53). Mehrban had bagged over 50,000 votes without an extensive campaign at that time. According to the insiders, both Tariq Fazal and Mehrban are struggling to get tickets from their respective leaderships.

Dr Tariq Fazal confirmed to Daily Times that he has already applied for the ticket. However, he said, it would be premature to comment on the matter.

In NA 53 constituency, Chaudhry Riffat Javed and Aqeel Anjum are hopeful of securing tickets from the PML-N to contest general elections. Riffat is the first cousin of Dr Tariq Fazal and deputy mayor of Islamabad elected in first-ever local government elections in 2106. A representative of PML-N told Daily Times, requesting anonymity, that Riffat is more likely to get ticket in this constituency due to close association of his cousin with party’s senior leadership.

Chauhdry Mehrban, Babar Awan, Ali Awan and Amir Kyani are top contenders for the PTI ticket from the constituency. However, Babar Awan has more chances to win ticket from the party.

Similarly, JI’s Mian Aslam is fighting for ticket in NA-53. He had also contested the last election from JI’s platform but couldn’t succeed.

PPP’s Haji Mustafa Nawaz Khokar and Afzal Khokar are aspiring for the ticket. However, Mustafa is more likely to get the ticker, an insider revealed.

In NA-54, PML-N has four candidates including Anjum Aqeel, Zeeshan Ali Naqvi, Hafeez ur Rehman Teepu and Wajid Ayub. However, sources claimed, Naqvi may be granted the ticket.

When contacted, Naqvi sounded hopeful of securing the ticket. “I have delivered in my area after being elected as deputy mayor. Hopefully, my leadership will consider me for the ticket,” he hoped.

While PTI has three candidates in NA-54, including Asad Umer, Saifullah Khan Naizi and Amir Mughal, Asad Umer is more likely to secure ticket from the constituency.

According to reports, there are more internal differences in PTI over the issue of awarding tickets in the constituencies of federal capital as compared to other two political parties. Around 13 PTI heavyweights have so far applied for the party tickets to contest the elections, leaving the party leadership in utter confusion on whom to award the tickets.

Published in Daily Times, June 2^nd 2018.